Rose Prince
by draconia22
Summary: After a terroist attack, Rose is orphaned and is sent to her unkown Uncle in England. Rose it seems has many talents that are once a generation and is continuely surprising her Uncle and his guests. This is how life can be unpredictable ABANDONED Sorry
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Rose laughed as she ran through the large crowd of the alley, her two friends right behind her calling out for her to wait up. It was finally summer holidays, she had spent the last week catching up with her family after being at boarding school for the last nine months and was now out shopping for supplies for the summer and new clothes to replace the ones that she had grown out of.

She turned at the sound of her father's voice calling for her to rejoin them when the air suddenly sounded like it shattered, pain ripped through her entire body before she realised that anything was wrong and fell unconscious just as she felt herself go airborne.

0000

Darkness.

Pain.

Her skin felt too tight. It throbbed in time to her heart beat. Her head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice.

The noise around her was deafening, people yelling for potions, extra hands and calling out orders, patience screaming in pain, kids crying for their parents, adults hysterical with shock.

"Here drink this little one." A voice whispered in her ear and a phial was placed at her lips. She gagged down the foul tasting potion, recognising it as a strong pain potion. "Can you tell me your name?" The voice was soft, gentle and kind.

"Rose…" She managed to croak out, her jaw hurt, her skin tight. "Rose Prince" She flinched at a cool cloth touched her left cheek which began to burn and sting. "Where?"

"You're at Saint Aradia, there was an attack on Murdock Alley. You'll be here for a few days for your injuries to heal." The voice slowly became clearer that she could identify it as female. "How old are you dear?"

"Sixteen." Her voice caught in her throat. "Mama? Papa?"

"I don't know yet dear, we are still collecting names…" The voice hesitated a moment. "Can you tell me their names and I'll keep an eye out for them?"

"Jean and Sean Prince, my little brother is Lucas, he's only four." Tears burned in her eyes even through they were closed and slid down her temples.

"I still have people to talk to dear, your going to be moved to a ward in a little bit, I'll come and find you later." Another phial was placed at her lips and she drank it down, recognising it as dreamless sleep, it was only a few breaths later darkness claimed her again.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Rose cracked open an eye, wincing as her head throbbed violently for a few moments before the pain eased to a dull ache, she felt sluggish and her eye sight was blurry.

"It's about time you woke up Ms Prince we were starting to get worried." A male nurse smiled as he approached her bed. "You've been asleep for nearly two weeks, your injuries have healed up nicely, though you left arm and leg will be sluggish for a few more days." He informed her as he picked up her chart from the end of the bed looking it over. "You'll probably have a limp for a few months as your leg was badly injured from flying debris." He looked her over, casting a few spells. "How are you feeling otherwise?"

"Confused." Her voice croaked and he poured her a glass of water and helped her drink it carefully. "Small headache and my eyes are blurry." She added her voice sounding nearly normal. "My family?"

"The headache will fade with time, as will the last of the bruises so move carefully for the next week." He told her before casting another spell at her eyes. "Your eyes will be fine in another few hours, it's left over from the concussion you had." He looked through the rest of her paper work with a small frown. "I'll have to ask at the desk about your family, there isn't anything here." He looked up and she could see sympathy in his eyes. "Just relax and try not to move around too much, lunch will be served in a little while, I'll be back in a bit." He placed her chart back at the end of her bed and left the ward.

She focused hard and managed to get her eyes to focus for a few moments, enough to see that half the ward was empty, with another three patients leaving at that very moment, looking a little worse for wear.

She leaned back in to her pillows and began slowly moving her legs, wincing as her left leg protested. Her chest and back ached a little but not enough for her worry, she slowly sat up and found the control wand and spelled her bed to move so she was sitting up.

She reached out and held the glass of water, slowly sipping down the rest of the glass, while slowly working her left arm that felt just as knotted up as her leg.

Lunch arrived, which was a thick broth with a few slices of bread and a tall glass of pumpkin juice to get her stomach used to food again.

She stared up at the ceiling as her eyes slowly came back in to focus, watching every now and then as more patients were released.

Her mind whirled with thoughts too fast for her to catch, her eyes burning with tears as a feeling of dread filled her about her family. It can't have been good if there was no information about them were in her file. All related family were linked through the hospital files so when asked the doctors only had to look and had all the information on hand.

"Ms Prince?" She looked over and saw the same nurse who had greeted when she woke waiting by her bedside.

"They didn't make it did they?" She asked through her tight throat.

"I'm afraid not, they died in the attack. We've managed to find your Uncle who has agreed to take you in as we couldn't find anyone else on record." He sat down on the edge of her bed and handed her a handkerchief. "Your family elves are packing up everything you will need and send it to your uncle, you are going to be transferred to a hospital closer to where he is so when you are released he can pick you up."

"Where is that exactly? I didn't know that I had any family in America?" She asked forlornly.

"You don't." He sighed. "He lives in England, he teaches at a school in Scotland and has made arrangements for you to attend there." He pulled two letters out of his pocket. "These were waiting at the front desk for you…"

Rose took them with shaking hands and slowly opened them and let out a relieved sigh.

"My friends made it…" She gave a half sob, half laugh. "They were right behind me…"

"A lot of people are luck to be alive after that attack." He gave her a watery smile. "I lost family and friends too."

"Did any one claim responsibility?" Rose asked quietly.

"No and that has a lot of people worried." He watched her carefully for a moment. "Here." He opened a draw and pulled our some parchment, ink and quill. "Write to your friends and I'll see that it gets sent off later."

"Thank you." She gave him a small smile. "When do I get transferred?"

"In an hour or two." He gave her shoulder a squeeze before leaving.

With a tired sigh she wrote out two letters to her friends, asking about other friends and their families, telling them about her uncle in England and that she was leaving shortly and didn't really have a choice in the matter until next year but she expected to hear from them regularly so they could keep in contact.

She blew the ink dry and then folded them up into envelopes and addressed them before carefully curling up on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

0000

She woke disoriented to find her self in a private room, a set of clothes waiting on a chair near by with a black cane with a silver phoenix with it's wings spread for a handle.

She glanced down at her left wrist and saw that it was different to the one she had on earlier. It now said Saint Mungo's.

She slowly sat up and glanced up at the door as it opened and a cheerful nurse stepped into the room.

"Morning Dear, you slept through the night. How are you feeling?"

"Confused…where am I?"

"You in Saint Mungo's dear, you were transferred here just before dinner, from Saint Aradia's." She quickly flipped through her file. "You'll need the cane to get around for the next few months, no flying, take things slowly." She wrote a few things down. "Do you think you can shower on your own Or would you like a hand?" She gestured to another door in the room.

"I don't know, I haven't even tried standing yet." She replied a little dazed.

"Dear, how long have you been awake…since you were injured I mean?" She asked looking a little concerned.

"A few hours maybe?"

"Oh dear, no wonder you sound so dazed. Well let's try standing and see how you go." The nurse helped her out of bed holding her steady on her right side as her feet touched the floor. Rose took a few unsteady steps before her left leg gave out completely. "Maybe a bath would be easier for you." The nurse suggested as they slowly made it into the small bathroom.

"I'll manage." Rose gave her a tight smile, as the nurse turned on the shower.

"I'll be right out side if you need me." The nurse looked a little hesitant to leave her but did leave.

Rose stripped off her gown and used the bars on the walls to get into the shower and scrubbed herself carefully, wincing as she found a few bruises. She found that her left arm moved a lot better then it had yesterday. She found a few scars on her upper arms, her stomach, thighs and her left leg had a long scar from hip to heel, along with a few faint burn scars.

She shuddered and scrubbed her hair twice before stepping out of the shower and wrapping up in towels before calling the nurse back in who thankfully brought the clothes with her.

As she dressed, a little embarrassed at being watched, the nurse applied a balm to her scars that she said would help them fade and help the damage tissues underneath to heal faster.

"Your Uncle has a small stock of this balm for you to use, apply it every day, twice a day on your leg and arm." She instructed and gestured her to turn around. "You have six scars on your back that some one else will have to apply the balm to."

"Do you think any will be permanent?" She asked as the nurse finished up and she continued to dress.

"I think three on your back will be and the one on your left arm." She sighed as she looked at her face and dabbed in two places. "The one on your right cheek will scar but it will be faint, and you have another across you left eye with will also scar, you are lucky to have you sight in that eye."

Rose looked at her solemnly. "No, I'm lucky to be alive at all with so little damage."

"What do you mean?" The nurse looked up startled.

"There was an attack on Murdock Alley in LA two weeks ago."

"We heard about it." The nurse nodded. "Lucky that no one died."

"No one died?" Rose scoffed choking back tears and sobs. "Last count was over a hundred and thirty dead with more bodies still being found in the rubble and over three hundred injured." Rose crumpled "No one died? My entire family is dead…"

"We were told that no one died…" The nurse breathed before pulling her into a gentle hug. "It wouldn't be the first time we were lied to by our paper." She murmured angrily. She tugged the towel off her head and cast a drying spell and then ran a brush through her hair. "Would you like you hair up?"

"Half please." Rose whispered hoarsely as she tried to get herself back under control and wiped away her tears, pushing her grief away again. She would deal with it later.

There was a tap on the bathroom door.

"Mary?" A male voice called out.

"Just a minute Jim" She called back as she finished putting up half the girl's hair. "There you are dear." She wet a cloth and quickly cleaned up her face and helped her to her feet and back to the bed. "What is it Jim?" She asked as she opened the side draw and pulled out the girls jewellery.

"Her Uncle has been caught up with business so he sent Mr Lupin to pick up Ms Prince." Jim replied handing over a small note.

Mary read it quickly.

"Dear, your Uncle has been delayed so he sent a friend to pick you up, he will take you back to your Uncle's place and keep you company until he can get there." Mary told her with a small smile.

"Okay." Rose nodded as she pulled on the gold rose locket, a gold charm bracelet and a small gold rose ring on her right hand.

Mary handed her the cane and cut the wrist band off her left arm.

"Mr Lupin has already sighed the release papers, and been given a copy of your file for your uncle and the school nurse when you return to school." Mary then walked with her to the arrivals area and looked about. "Mr Lupin" She called out and smiled as a middle aged man with greying brown hair stepped forward. "You take care dear, and remember to take things slow."

"I will, thank you." Rose gave her a small weak smile.

"How are you feeling?" Mr Lupin asked in a soft voice as they slowly made their way to the floo system.

"Tired." Rose admitted. "I've only been awake for a little while." She stared at the floo uneasily. "I don't think I can Floo on my own…"

"It's okay, I can take you through with me." He assured her as their turn came up, he carefully held her as they stepped into the fire as he threw the powder into the flames and called out a name that she didn't catch.

Her leg gave out as they came out of another floo and Mr Lupin held her steady, until her leg held her weight. "Thank you." She said softly.

"Your welcome, you can wait in the lounge room until Severus arrives." He led her to the lounge room and watched as she very nearly collapsed into the seat.

"What exactly is my Uncle's name? No one told me." She asked tiredly leaning back, shifting slightly to take all the weight off her leg.

"Severus Snape." Mr Lupin looked over her for a moment. "You didn't know about him did you?"

"No." She shook her head, staring into the flames. "Some how I doubt he knew about me either. My father never talked about his family…" Her voice hitched a little. "Snape…how is he related?"

"His mother was a Prince."

"Then he is a cousin." She nodded in understanding.

"My brother actually took on our mother's maiden name when he left England." A deep silky voice corrected her.

She turned her head and spotted a tall man dressed completely in black, his black hair barely reaching his shoulders, looking a little greasy. His hooked nose was crooked and his onyx eyes were blank, his face was pale and a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Uncle." She dipped her head slightly in respect.

"What exactly happened? All I was told was that they were dead, and there was no one else to take you." He inquired his voice flat, void of emotion.

"There was an Attack on Murdock Alley, some sort of explosion, I still don't know exactly what happened. I only woke yesterday." Her own voice flat. "I heard that over a hundred and thirty were killed, more were still being found, three hundred injured."

"Her medical file." Mr Lupin handed the thick file to her uncle.

She closed her eyes as her leg began to throb, she guessed that the pain potion she had been given earlier had worn off. She could heard pages being turned, along with the crackling of the fire.

"Are you alright?" Lupin asked.

"Pain potion is wearing off." Rose replied softly.

"It'll be another three hours before I can give you any more." Severus commented with a soft sigh. "When did you last eat? It only says here that you had some broth yesterday morning."

"That's when I last ate." She shrugged.

"I'll order something from the kitchens." Lupin got up and headed out of the room.

"Soft foods Remus, she hasn't eaten in two weeks." Severus called out after him. "Sean never told you about me at all did he?"

"No."

"Understandable, we didn't part on the best of terms." He sighed. "He did tell me about you and Lucas though, I used to get long letters and a few photos once a year from your mother." He set the file down and made his way slowly to her side. "Can you walk? I'll show you to you room, we won't be making it to the Manor this year."

"Where are we then?" She asked looking about the room.

"Hogwarts, my quarters." He saw her raised eyebrow and smirked slightly. "It's a school."

"Oh." She nodded slightly. "I don't think I can walk right now." She answered his earlier question.

He nodded and carefully picked her up and carried her out of the room and down a short corridor and turned left in to a medium size room. It was royal blue and cream in colour with dark coloured wood furniture. He settled her down with ease on the bed propped up on pillows and set her cane against the bedside table.

"The bathroom is down the hall towards the lounge on the right, your trunks are stacked up in that corner." He gestured to the far wall. "A house elf will be by later to unpack them for you…" He hesitated. "I'll be honest Rose, I don't know what to do with you, I am not good with children no matter their age or with emotions."

"Just give me time." She answered softly, looking down at her lap.

"I'll make sure that the balm you need is ready by morning…I'm afraid that Remus will have to apply it to your back…I have to leave for a few days to deal with a few things."

"I won't be in the way, Uncle. You don't need to change any plans just because I am here now…." She looked up at him for a moment. "Though when I am able to get around a bit…do you have a potions lab I can use?"

"There is one down the hall out side, I'll set it up for you. Jean did say you were quiet good at potions." He smiled faintly. "I'll leave out a list of potions that I have supplies for after I finish going through your school file with the headmaster."

"That's fine." She nodded as Remus came in with a tray of food and set in carefully on her lap.

"When do you have to go?" Remus asked looking up at him.

"An hour or so, I'll take the medical up to Poppy and get her to look it over, talk to Albus, get a little bit of paper work done and then head off…" He watched Remus for a moment. "Are you sure…"

"Yes, I'm sure, don't worry about it." He gave Severus a faint smile. "When does Draco arrive?"

"Four weeks." He looked at Rose. "Draco is my godson, he visits every holiday." He explained.

Rose nodded and tucked into her very thick broth and hot tea. She watched them out of the corner of her eye as they moved to the hallway, talking softly as she finished her broth and sipped at the tea, letting it sooth her throat and settled back into her pillows closing her eyes for a moment.

She felt gentle hands ease the cup out of her relaxing grip and the tray lifted from her lap, before she was caringly lifted and heard the rustle of sheets and gently placed back down and her shoes removed. The thick blanket was gently placed over her and she slid into a slightly deeper sleep but could still hear everything.

"I didn't think she would fall asleep that fast." Remus murmured in concern. "She said she was tired but she's only been awake a few hours."

"It's the balm and the potions she is on." Severus sighed. "The balm is speeding up her healing, and the best thing for healing is sleep. See if you can coax her to have a pain potion in three hours with out waking her too much." Gentle fingers tucked some hair out of her face. "She is exhausted and hasn't had time to grieve properly. I don't think that it has really hit her yet…"

"Nightmares?"

"Definitely. Albus needs to know about this attack and that it was much worse then the Daily Profit reported." He sighed. "Just keep an eye on her, when she feels up to it take her to the lab a few doors down, work will probably help her." The rustling of clothes got softer and the door closed and Rose sunk deeper into sleep.

0000

"Rose." A soft voice called to her and she moan in pain as she returned to consciousness. "Here drink this…" A phial was held to her lips and she heard a chuckle as she sniffed deeply first before opening her mouth and swallowed the pain potion. "You are definitely related to Severus." A hand eased her back down into the pillows. "Get some more sleep, you need it…"

"Remus are you here?" A old whispery voice called out. She heard Remus move away. "Ah there you are…" The voice trailed off. "This is Severus's niece?"

"Yes."

"How is she?"

"Physically she is getting better, Severus said according to her medical file she'll have a few permanent scars and a limp for the next six months if not a year." Remus sighed.

"Emotionally?" The old voice sounded very tired and concerned.

"She's a mess. All up she has only been awake for about six hours since the attack. She has already had four night mares in the last seven hours." Remus sounded worried.

"You should get some rest yourself, Remus. You'll be no good to anyone exhausted." The voice chided him.

"I know Albus, but she can barely walk, some one needs to be here in case she wakes and needs the bathroom…" He hesitated for a moment, "And we don't know how she is going to react when her family's death finally sinks in."

"Lucas…" Rose murmured, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Her little brother, he was only four." Remus commented quietly.

"I'm trying to get in contact with a few old friends in LA to find out exactly what is going on, things really are a mess at the moment over there." Albus sighed. "Get a house elf to watch her Remus, they can wake you if she needs you. You need to rest."

"Any news from Harry?"

"That's the reason I came down, I got a letter. He is studying in his room, his relatives are ignoring him mostly, Tonks and Made eye are watching him at the moment. They will be able retrieve him in a few more days, the wards are almost charged, here and there."

"Will he be coming here? Or to Grimmauld place?" Remus asked sounding a little relieved.

"Here I think will be best, he can get a little bit of training here with out getting into trouble." Albus chuckled. "Get some rest."

Rose rolled to get a little bit more comfortable, the pain dimming completely and settled back into sleep.

0000

Rose woke feeling much better, she laid there for a little while letting her memory catch up with her before slowly sitting up, grimacing as her leg protested movement. She looked to where her trunks were and blinked when she realised that they were no longer there and remembered that Uncle Severus said that the house elves would unpack for her.

She got a grip on her cane and limped painfully over to the wardrobe and draws and pulled out clothes to wear, settling on jeans, slip on sneakers and a low cut back blue top so her scars could be treated and dressed slowly, biting back whimpers of pain as she got her leg into the jeans, socks and shoes, after treating the scars she could see from the jar of balm on her bedside table.

She tucked the jar in her pocket and painfully made her way to the bathroom, emptied her near bursting bladder, brushed her teeth and her hair and made her way to the lounge room and sank down gratefully into a chair and set the jar down on the table.

She massaged her leg through her pants, sighing in relief as she felt one of the knotted muscles relax.

"Is Miss Rose hungry?" A low squeaky voice asked.

She turned and spotted a house elf near by and smiled. "A little." She nodded.

"What can Toddy get Miss Rose?" Toddy asked eagerly.

"Toast, scrambled eggs and hot black tea with two sugars please." She requested.

"Toddy show Miss Rose Dinning room" The elf gestured for her to follow.

Rose gritted her teeth as she got back to her feet and leaned heavily on the cane into another room, which had a dining table that seated four, with a small kitchen in the back.

"Toddy be right back with food." He said before popping out of the room.

Rose eased into a chair and leaned her cane against the table and began massaging her leg again.

"Morning Rose." A sleepy Remus came into the room, before pausing taking in her appearance. "Potion." He muttered heading into the kitchen and returned a few moments and handed her a phial.

"Morning Mr Lupin." She greeted him in return and sniffed at the phial before chugging it back quickly.

"Call me Remus please…too early for Mr." He muttered as he slid into a chair rubbing at his eyes. "You look better then yesterday."

"Feel better." She gave him a small smile. "I actually feel awake, instead of in a daze." She dove for the tea cup that arrived and hummed in appreciation at the taste, watching as Remus helped himself to the tea pot and dug into his bacon, eggs, sausages and toast.

"I didn't think that many American's liked going with out their coffee." He commented a few minutes later looking much more awake as he poured out his second cup of tea.

"Most don't. I can't stand it, horrible stuff." She shuddered. "It's just hard to find good tea there." She finished off her tea and poured a second before digging back into her breakfast. "My friend Carrie, she couldn't get started with out at least two cups of coffee to get her moving in the morning." She chuckled and shook her head.

"Sounds like me with my tea." Remus chuckled. "I'm no good with out my morning tea." He finished off his meal. "Did you put the balm on?"

"Yes, except my back and face." She nodded. "I left the jar in the lounge."

Remus left the room and returned with the jar and quickly applied it to her scars on her back when she lent forward, and then did the same for her face. He placed the jar on the table and then washed his hands in the kitchen.

"Poppy is going to want to check you over later, she is the school nurse." He informed her as he poured a third cup of tea. "She'll be coming down here until you are able to go more then a few feet with out pain, as the hospital wing in on the other side of the castle, a good twenty minute walk from here, at a good speed."

"Hogwarts is a castle?" Rose asked in surprise.

"Yes, a very old castle." Remus smiled. "With lots of steps…which maybe a problem for you for awhile."

"Give me time and I'll get there." Rose shrugged. "Give a week or two and I'll have no problem getting around these rooms." She looked down at her leg. "I just hope I'll be able to get around by the time school starts again."

"We'll see how things go." Remus replied with a small sigh. "If you can't then you may need a tutor, but we'll deal with that when the time comes." He finished off his cup and set it down near the pot, a few moments later all the dishes disappeared. "What do you want to do today?

"I thought I might go through what the elves sent and then settle down on the couch with a book for awhile." Rose replied thinking about it for a moment. "I don't want to undo the good healing with moving around too much too fast."

"Understandable." Remus nodded. "I've got a bit of my own paper work to get done to get ready for next term and hand it in to the headmaster."

"You're teaching?"

"Yes, the headmaster asked me to return this year." He nodded as stood. "I should be back in a few hours, if you need me call for a house elf to come and get me."

"I will." She nodded and she got a hold of her cane and made her way back to her room and took a long look at it. A wardrobe that was bigger on the inside then on the out side and a chested draws held all her clothes, cloaks, shoes, belts, robes and coats; stood at the far corner out of the way.

On the wall with the door stood a seven foot tall nine foot wide book shelf holding all her books that she had collected over the last six years for all her classes and hobbies, plus a few from the family library.

In a few blank places on her walls stood paintings that she had done, mainly landscapes but a few of friends and family. She moved slowly to the family portrait that she had finished just last month but hadn't gotten time to spell it so they would move. She had already done to other spells so they were like her family, those spells had taken her two years to learn after one of her teachers had found that she had a real talent for portraits. It was how she had made a little bit of pocket money while at school doing cheap portraits for her school friends to practice.

She reached out a hand and gently caressed the painting, feeling a few tears slide down her cheeks.

"I miss you." She whispered before taking the picture down and curling up with it on her bed and pulled a pillow tight to her chest and dissolved into tears, finally letting her grief out.

She felt like she was drowning, and choking on her sobs not quiet able to get enough air to breathe.

"Oh Rose." A sad and tender male voice breathed and she felt her felt being pulled up and arms wrapping around her and holding her tight, rubbing her shoulders and stroking her hair, whispering words that she could make out. Feeling those arms anchor her and the words that spoke of understanding, she held nothing back crying herself into exhaustion.

0000

She woke with a sore throat, her eyes gritty and swollen and feeling like a wet dishrag and her leg throbbing in pain.

She slowly pulled herself out of her blankets and caught sight of the portrait leaning against her bedside table and gave it a watery smile before grabbing her cane and hissed her way to the bathroom and washed her face and went to cast a few refreshing charms before remembering she didn't have her want on her and hadn't seen it since the attack.

Cursing and muttering under her breath she made her way to the lounge and found Remus reading on the couch.

"How are feeling?" He asked sitting up straight after catching sight of her.

"Like a wet rag, but better." She shrugged, her voice a little scratchy. "Have you seen my wand? It wasn't with my things."

"Accio Rose's wand." He called out pulling out his own wand but no wand appeared, he frowned and gestured for her to wait and made his way down to her room and she heard him cast again and came back still frowning. "I'll get in contact with Saint Mungo's but it is possible that it was lost."

"I really liked that wand." She sighed and slumped down in her seat whimpering as leg twisted a little.

"I'll get you a potion, it's been a few hours since your last one." He said as he hurried out of the room and returned with a phial.

She drank it down quickly and made a face. "I'm not going to be able to take this one much longer." She sighed as she handed him back the empty phial.

"Why not?"

"It's addictive, it can't be taken for more then a week." She answered with a small frown. "I'll have to change to one of the less potent ones, it's not as powerful and not addictive but I'll have to take it more often."

"Know your potions then." He smiled.

"One of my best subjects." She nodded. "I'm average in nearly all my classes, except for the arts."

"The arts?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Potions, healing, portrait making, music and carving" She explained with a smile.

"You did those paintings?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes." She nodded.

"What's your worst class?" He asked with a impressed look.

"DADA and Transfiguration." She sighed. "I never get better then A's."

"Hmm maybe I can help, I'll be teaching DADA."

"Won't help." She shook her head. "I've had two years of tutoring with the teacher and friends that get good marks and I still couldn't get good marks. The Professors just said that they weren't my areas considering what I am good at."

"It's going to be hard for you here then." Remus sighed. "We only teach Potions out of your good subjects and Severus runs that with an Iron fist and sharp tongue."

"Hmm, I'll get by." She shrugged. "What am I going to do about a wand?"

"Well, if it wasn't sent along with you then they didn't find it so we'll have to get you a new one." He studied her for a few moments. "We can go in a week or two when you can get around easier. As it is you are not supposed to use magic during the holidays."

"What?" She cried in disappointment.

"You don't have that law in America?" He asked in surprise.

"Legal age for magic is Sixteen in LA." She sulked.

"It's seventeen here, but as you are staying at the school, technically you can get away with it." He gave her a sly wink.

"I can't do any of my hobbies with out my wand…and I need new clothes and more supplies…" She sighed. "That's why we were at the alley that day, we hadn't even had a chance to get anything, we'd only just arrived and met up with my friends." She dashed away a stray tear that slid down her cheek.

"Do you have your Gringotts key? We can owl order most of what you need I'm sure." He offered with an understanding smile.

"Yeah I have it." She gestured to her charm bracelet.

"I'll get some catalogues from all the stores, you write a note to Gringotts and get an account set up for the shops you need to buy from until we can get there in person." He stood up.

"But I need a wand to do the ordering." She pointed out to him.

"Alright." He sighed. "We'll go tomorrow, that way you can take your time getting every where, it's after lunch now and I have an appointment with Albus that will take a few hours."

"That's fine." She gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you Remus."

"It is no problem." He returned the smile. "Send Toddy for me if you need me, I need to go before I am late."

"Will do." She nodded and returned to her room. She put the portrait back in place and scanned through her books before pulling out one and curled up on her bed before calling Toddy and requesting Tea and some sandwiches and settled down to read.

0000

Rose wasn't sure how long she had been lost in her book when a female voice calling out for Remus jolted her out of the story. She grabbed her cane and made her way to the lounge and saw a woman in her late forties frowning before she huffed.

"Can I help you?" Rose asked as she entered the room.

"Oh hello dear, you must be Rose." She smiled. "I'm Madame Poppy Pomphrey."

"Ah the School nurse." She nodded and took a seat. "Remus mentioned that you would be coming by."

"Where is that rascal?" Poppy scowled.

"He's in a meeting with the headmaster." Rose shrugged.

"Well, I've been through your file, but would like to run a few diagnostic spells just to see how you are doing." She gestured with her wand.

"That's fine." Rose nodded and settled back into the chair.

"How is your leg? The doctors said that it was the worst injury." Poppy asked casting spells.

"Painful." Rose grimaced. "I'm on strong pain potions every six hours just so I can walk around with out pain or even just sit." She looked up at the nurse and saw the concerned look. "I'll have to come off them by the end of the week and put on to the slightly weaker ones, or I'll get addicted."

"You know your potions then." She nodded looking a little relieved. "According to the records you've only been awake for just under three days is the correct?"

"Yes, I was only awake for two hours before they put me back to sleep for the hospital transfer to Saint Mungo's and I was only awake for an hour before Remus picked me up, awake for a further hour or so before falling back asleep." Rose nodded.

"And how long were awake today?" She asked taking a few notes.

"Two hours before I cried myself to sleep for three hours, I've been up for four hours." Rose replied after thinking for a few moments.

"Alright I want you to change potions now, rather then later, not more then six phials a day, if you need more then get Remus to call me down and I'll give you another check over to make sure that we haven't missed anything." She pulled a small case out and handed it to her. "The case will refill every morning so I can monitor your doses."

"Can the change over wait until tomorrow afternoon?" Rose asked biting her lip.

"Why?" Poppy frowned at her.

"Remus is taking me to Diagon Alley so I can replace my wand, it was lost." Rose explained.

"Alright but no more then three phials tomorrow." Poppy agreed reluctantly and wrote out a note. "Give this to Remus, so he knows what changes we've made. Did they actually tell you what damaged your leg?"

"Only that I'd have a limp for a few months." Rose shook her head.

"Hmm, they probably weren't sure." She sighed. "There is a small chance that the limp could be permanent, there is a lot of muscle scaring that can't be seen visually. Keep using the balm and we'll see how things are next month…" She pulled another jar out of her bag and handed it to her. "This is a muscle relaxant, it'll help when you leg gets bad, also use it before you have to walk more then twenty meters it will take some of the strain off." She looked over her notes. "Try not to sleep more then nine hours a day after next week, but if you are too tired then by all means nap, it this sleeping pattern keeps up for more then two weeks tell me and I'll look into it." She packed away everything. "I'll be back next week to look you over again and see how you scars are healing."

"Well the nurse told me that they already look a lot better then they did." Rose sighed.

"Well that is good news, take it easy for today and use that relaxant before bed and before you go out tomorrow."

"I will, thank you."

"You are very welcome dear." She smiled and then left.

Rose went back to her room and called Toddy for a small dinner, ate, changed for bed and settled down to read for another hour before turning in for the night, only to have to get up again, massage her leg and return to sleep.

0000

Rose woke to Toddy calling her name.

"What is it Toddy?" She asked groggily slowly sitting up.

"Master Remus is asked Toddy to wake Miss Rose so you can get ready to go shopping." The elf squeaked.

"Thank you Toddy." She nodded blearily and stumbled her way to the bathroom, showered and wrapped herself up in towels when she realised that she had forgotten to grab clothes. She doctored her self with her all her medication and dressed in a dark green robe and joined Remus at the dinning table with a mumbled greeting.

She gulped down two cups of tea before she realised that Remus was trying not to laugh at her.

"Didn't sleep well?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"I slept like a log, probably why I am have so much trouble." She shrugged and ate her toast.

"Well go to Gringotts first, get you some spending money and set up accounts at some of the local stores before we go and get your wand…you may need to bring a spare pain potion, there will be a lot of walking." He informed her.

"What if I wrote out a list of what I need and while I am getting my wand and a few robes you can grab everything else?" She suggested with a small frown. "That should cut down the amount of walking I have to do."

"Yes that would be a good idea Rose." He nodded in agreement and left the room for a moment and returned with a never out quill and parchment.

She quickly but clearly wrote the potion ingredients that she need for her portrait paints, she needed new brushes and canvas's, two new robes, a wand, a painting robe, and new hide gloves.

She wrote down exactly what type and how many brushes and canvas's that she needed. She handed the list to Remus and stood.

"I'll get all of this while you are getting your wand and robe…Oh I forgot your back." He shook his head as he remembered.

"It can be doctored tonight, it pains me not a few hours will make no difference." She waved him off. "When do we leave?"

"In a few moments."

"I get my cloak." She nodded and made her way down to her room and easily swung her cloak over her shoulders and slipped her spare pain phial in to her pocket and made sure that she had a firm grip on her cane and rejoined Remus in the lounge before he lead her into what appeared to be a study.

"We will be flooing to the Leaky Cauldron. Would you like a hand? The landing can be quiet abrupt." Remus spoke as he picked up a handful of floo powder.

"The less jostling I get now the better." She nodded in understanding and gave him a soft smile as he wrapped an arm around her waist and tossed in the powder and called out the pubs name and stepped through holding her steady.

He caught her easily as she buckled during the landing and helped her away from the fire.

"Alright Rose?" He asked when he realised that her leg was not coming back under her control.

"A moment." Her voice pleaded softly.

He lead her to a seat and helped her sit and crouched in front of her. "Are you in pain?" He asked softly.

"No, no pain it just gave out on me." She shook her head, as she massaged her knee for a moment.

He helped her to rise when she gestured that she was ready. He lead her to Gringotts where they quickly dealt with and she handed Remus one of the small pouches of money and made her way to Ollivanders.

She stepped into the shop and smiled as she spotted the man easily in the shadows.

"Good Morn Ollivander, Master Wand Marker." She greeted him formally.

"Good Morn Miss." He replied his eyes sparkled and chuckled. "How may I help you?"

"I need a replacement wand, my own was lost nearly three weeks ago in America. It was a special one to me…it was a brother wand to my own father." She replied with a sad smile.

"And the brother?" He inquired.

"Destroyed as far as I know, along with my own." She sighed. "Destroyed in the Attack in LA."

"Sad story that, what was your wand Miss…"

"Miss Rose Prince" She introduced herself. "It was ten inches, white holly with two foal unicorn tail hairs."

"Two hairs?" He blinked in surprise. "That is rare, tell me Miss Prince what is your talent?" He asked shrewdly.

"I am a painter and carver, Sir." She smiled.

"A true painter?" He asked his eyes lighting up.

"Yes sir, My talent was found early when I was twelve, I have spent the last four years being trained, properly. I have spent the last two years practicing on other students, charging only a few knuts in payment." She nodded.

"Well let us see if we can find a wand that will suit you here." He pulled a few choices out of his stock and one by one they made their way through, them until they finally got one to give of bright swirls of magic. "White Oak, nine inches, phoenix feather and unicorn tail hair." He informed her with a bright smile. "Almost as rare as your first wand, Miss Prince." He studied her for a moment. "Did you pass the tests?" He inquired vaguely.

"I did." She nodded and watched as he cast a few spells on her wand.

"You are a Master, Miss Rose, no law of underage magic can hold you. You can now use your magic with no fear or reprisals." He grinned at her.

"Thank you Mr Ollivander, how much for the wand?"

"Eight Gallons, Miss Rose"

She counted out the money and handed it over with a smile. "Good Day Master Wand Maker."

"Good Day Master Painter." He nodded in return.

She made her way awkwardly to Madame Malkin's through the crowd and easily made her order of the two robes she needed, along with a good sturdy second hand robe to be used for painting, before remembering that she would need School robes and ordered them as well, making sure that enough room was left in the hem that they could be let down if she needed too and ordered a few pairs of shoes.

She was paying at the counter when Remus arrived.

"Mr Lupin, is there anything I can do for you today?" Madame Malkin asked brightly.

"Not today, Madame, I am just here to escort Rose." He shook his head with a smile. "Are you all finished?"

"Yes, Remus." She nodded hiding a wince as she felt her leg seize for a few moments before it decided that walking was a good idea. "Did you get everything?" She asked as they walked slowly out of the store with Rose's shopping and made their way back to the pub. She was surprised that it hadn't taken more then two and a half hours to get it all done.

"Yes I got everything on the list, exactly as you had it all written down, along with catalogues so you can owl order in the future and set up accounts with the shop owners too." He nodded.

"Good, that will make things easier." She nodded in agreement.

"Are you all set to head back?"

"Yes, I think my leg has had enough." She nodded as they entered the pub and headed straight for the floo. Once again Remus held her tightly and flooed with her back to Hogwarts.

"Is there anything you need?" He asked as he walked with her back to her room and set the bags down on her bed.

"Is there a spare room?" She asked thinking. "I would like to set up my painting supplies so I have something to do when I am not reading."

"There isn't at the moment no." He shook his head. "But I can ask the headmaster. It won't take too much for him to have another room set up for you." Remus assured her.

"If you don't think it would be a bother…" She said hesitantly.

"No bother Rose." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I'll talk to him after lunch, but for now is there anything you want to do?"

"I might take my supplies to the lab and start on a few potions." She mused digging through the bags that Remus had set down, and dragged over one of the emptied trunks and placed her potions supplies in it. Before finding the pots that he had also bought for the paints after they were made, and added them to the trunk.

"The good thing about you being in the school is that you don't have to worry about getting letters telling you not to use magic." He grinned at her.

She just gave him a serene smile and dug through her old supplies that she already had and added them to the trunk before closing the lid. "Could you show me to the lab that Uncle Severus said I could use?"

"Of course." He nodded and chuckled as she flicked a moricorpus spell at her trunk so it would follow them. "It's three doors down." They left the quarters. "The password is Dunderheads at the moment." He gestured to the portrait and showed her to the clean lab three doors down.

A note sat on the table for her and ingredients were set up in a cabinet near by, with the cauldrons lined up on the bench by the wall.

She set her trunk down and opened the note and smiled as she read.

_Rose,_

_Feel free to brew what ever you see fit, your scores and tests show that you are capable of brewing so I shall trust you judgement for the moment. Though if you could keep a list of what you brew so I know what you are doing would be appreciated, so I can test them later._

_Uncle Severus._

"Uncle Severus says I can brew what I like." She chuckled.

"Will you be okay for a few hours?" He asked with a small chuckle of his own.

"Oh yes I'll be fine." She nodded. "I'll be back for dinner"

"Alright, send Toddy if you need me." He said as he left her to brew.

She spent the next few hours brewing her paints, taking care with each colour and casting the spells that they needed to be used correctly. She carefully poured each one into a it's own pot, casting a few more spells before sealing the lids.

"Miss Rose is to return for dinner" Toddy said as he popped into the room.

"Thank you Toddy." She nodded and set the used cauldrons at the sink to soak, so when she came back she could easily clean them. She scrubbed her hands carefully to removed all traces of the potions she had used before making her way slowly back to her rooms.

"Good brewing?" Remus asked as she took a seat with a tired sigh.

"Oh yes." She gave him a tired and pained grin.

"Albus has made a second room for you to use for you hobbies across from your own room." He informed her with a smile as food arrived. "How are you feeling other wise?"

"Tired." She yawned. "My leg is really starting to ache though."

"Have you taken more potion?" Remus asked with a small frown.

"Two of the new pain potion Poppy gave me." She nodded. "I needed it to complete my brewing."

"That can't be good Rose, you were only brewing for four hours." He looked at her in concerned. "Maybe you should have stopped brewing if you were in that much pain."

"Once started they had to be finished or it would have been ruined." She shook her head.

"This new potion isn't strong enough is it?" He asked softly.

"We shall see." She shrugged as she picked at her food, not really all that hungry. After awhile she gave up pretending to eat and set her utensils down and stood gripping her cane. "I'm tired Remus, I'm going to bed." She stated softly and left the room with her limp more pronounced then Remus had ever seen it.

She collapsed on to her bed too tired to change and hugged a thick pillow to her chest and quietly sobbed herself to sleep, wishing the pain would stop.

0000

Remus watched over her as she tossed and turned restlessly in her sleep, whimpering and even crying out in pain.

After an hour he could no longer stand her cries and called Poppy down to look her over, watching his worry clear on his face as she cast spell after spell.

"She has strained her leg a bit, the pain has exhausted her." Poppy sighed. "The potions I gave her did work but from what I read of her system they are only last two hours against the pain. There really is nothing that I can do Remus, if I give her more of the stronger pain potion she is at high risk of becoming addicted and she knows that."

"In other words she is just going to have to grit her teeth and bare it." Remus sighed.

"Just so." Poppy nodded sadly. "When is Severus due back?"

"I don't know for sure. He said he should only be gone three or four days, but if he was going to be longer then he would send word."

"It maybe best for her to stay in bed for a few days, limited movement, bathroom trips with an arm to lean on. The only thing we can do at the moment is take it one week at a time and see how her leg reacts." Poppy suggested, adding a few notes in a file she pulled out of her apron.

"Do you think she would be able to sit and do something?" Remus asked looking at a painting hanging on the wall. "She loves to paint and it will give her something to do with her hands."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Poppy nodded. "But no walking for a few days, I really shouldn't have let her go t o Diagon alley so soon."

"Neither of us should have but she needed supplies and a new wand, something to keep her going while she was recovering." He sighed. "Three weeks all up, since she was injured, still in constant pain, no I shouldn't have taken her."

"While it wasn't good for her leg, it was good for her mental health to go out to the alley considering what happened last time she was in one." Poppy sighed in agreement. "I've spelled the pain potion case to notify me when she takes one, so I'll be able to keep track of how much she takes, she is a sensible girl."

"Let's just hope she stays sensible." Remus nodded slowly and they left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Rose sat in the new room that the Headmaster had added to her uncle's quarters for her, a two foot by three foot canvas sitting on an easel, her paints set up to her left and a paint brush in her hand, just staring at the blank canvas.

She had cleared her mind as she had been taught and was waiting for an image to form in her mind that she could paint. At the present it was still a little blurry but she slowly dipped her brush in the paint and began slow strokes as the image slowly came in to focus and her strokes became surer.

She spent hours in the room, pausing for nothing until she was sure she was done. She had even sent Toddy away when he had come to tell her that lunch was ready, telling him that she would eat later and really didn't want to be disturbed right now.

She carefully cleaned the four brushes she had used in another pot she had ready to clean her brushes and set her pallet down and capped her paint pots before rising out of her seat and look at the painting from a few steps back.

A satisfied smile spread across her lips as she looking over the forest clearing with three animals frolicking about. A large brown stag with large strong antlers, a large grim like black dog that was play wresting with a large wolf.

She pulled her wand out from behind her ear and cast a dozen spells on the picture that she had been taught when she had completed her Mastery. Some were for preservation, movement, sound, another one that took a bit of power to cast was for them to act like who they were painted from, a imitation soul if you like of the person or animal painted. Even if the subject wasn't known to the painter it could still be done, just quiet a bit harder and more power was needed for the spell.

It was one thing that was rare about her gift, she could paint some one she had never met or seen to perfection and still have it come out acting like said person after casting the spell. It made her a rarity among the Master Painters.

She tucked her wand back behind her ear with a small nod to herself. In the morning when she was sure that the picture was completely dry she would cast the activation spell and could hang it on the wall with her others.

She turned and looked at the once bare walls that were now covered with a dozen paintings that she had instructed Toddy to hang for her. The large portrait of her family was still in her room, but she had the individual ones hanging on her wall, along with three of her friends and a few professors that had consented to having their portrait done and activated and said she could keep so she always had some one to ask for advice.

They had all been put in stasis when they had been packed bar her family ones which hadn't been activated at all. She wasn't quiet ready to face her family yet. With a few flicks of her wand she brought them out of stasis.

She sat back down and spent the next half an hour letting them know where they were and what had happened. The professors had immediately left their portrait for the double that she had given them so they could keep in contact.

She moved carefully and placed the drying portrait on an empty book shelf to dry and placed another blank canvas on the easel before heading out to the dinning room to eat a late lunch, ignoring the fact that she was still covered in paint flecks and smears. Remus had been keep a very careful eye on her over the last week, since the trip to Diagon Alley. Her pain potions had been upped a little and she had been kept in bed for three days straight only let out when Remus had to help her go to the bathroom and back before Poppy had said that her leg had healed enough for her to leave her bed. But she wasn't to leave her quarters yet and absolutely no stairs. No standing for more then five minutes and to always use the cane.

"Feeling Better?" Remus asked with a smile as she entered the dinning room and sat down it wasn't more then a few seconds before Toddy appeared and placed a plate of sandwiches in front of her with a fresh pot of tea.

"Better?" Rose asked with a small frown as she made a cup of tea to her liking and bit in to her sandwich.

"You were snappish this morning before you locked yourself away with your paints." He told her in amusement as he made himself a cup of tea.

"I do apologise, Remus." She flushed a little in embarrassment. "I get that when an image is coming that needs to be painted. I don't have any control over it if it is strong enough to overpower my shields."

Remus studied her for a moment blinking slowly. "You are serious aren't you?"

"Very." She nodded with a faint smile. "If I get snappish just send me to my paints and it will sort its self out." She told him between sips of tea.

"But…" He trailed off and his eyes widened before locking on her own. "Only Master Painters, open and powerful Master painters get like that and only after they are taken into an apprenticeship."

"True." She smile faintly as she quickly finishing up her sandwich.

"How far are you in to your apprenticeship? To be honest you shouldn't have been removed from your master." He frowned in concern.

"Remus calm down." She told him softly and waited until he had taken a deep breath. "I finished my apprenticeship a few months ago, I am a full Master."

"Why didn't you say something before?" He demanded looking annoyed.

"You didn't ask." She pointed out with a small shrug.

"Nor is it in your records." He frowned at her.

"Ah, then you have my apology." She bowed her head a little. "I had assumed that it was in my records."

"Is it possible that anything else is missing out of them." He asked with a small sigh.

"I have no idea what is in them or not." She shook her head. "You would have to ask."

"Alright." He nodded and spent the next few moments concentrating on his tea. "I'll leave a note for Severus to go over your records with you." He glanced up at her. "He should be returning today if everything goes to plan."

"Life hardly ever goes to plan." She sighed and then shook her head firmly. "I apologise Remus I don't know what is up with me today." She frowned a little.

"Perhaps for more painting is called for?" He suggested with a faint smile. "I will send Severus to you when he arrives."

"Perhaps leaving him a note would be better, if I am not out of the painting room." She shook her head. "I get seriously cranky if I am interrupted from painting, much like when I am interrupted from brewing."

"I'll let him know not to disturb you when you are in your room." He nodded slightly in understanding. "He should understand that. Oh how are all your potions going?"

"Fine, my pain potions automatically refill, and I still have three jars of the relaxant and two of the scar fader." She shrugged as she slowly stood.

"You aren't painting standing up are you?" He asked her with a small discouraging frown.

"No, I'm sitting." She shook her head and made her way back to her work room and closed the door and sat down in front of the blank canvas.

0000

Rose was just set another finished painting next to her first when some one hesitantly knocked on her door. She leaned heavily on her cane as she limped to the door with a small frown on her face as she unlocked the door and opened it.

Standing in front of the door was a nearly six foot blonde boy with an angular face and silver eyes, dressed in dress slacks and a silk green button down shirt.

"Professor Snape said dinner is on the table." His English accent was strong and slightly acrostic, and he sounded slightly subdued.

"Thank you, I'll be out in a minute." She gave him a small smile and limped back to her paints and capped them all carefully and dropped her brushes in the cleaning solution before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. She made her way to the dinning room and sat down in her seat after a slight nod to her Uncle who looked worn out, even as he read through a few letters in front of him.

"Uncle." She greeted him softly even as the meal appeared.

"Rose, this is my Godson Draco, Draco this is Rose." He introduced them as he set the letters down. "As you can see there was a slight change of plans and he has joined us early." He picked up his glass of wine and sipped at it. "How have you been?"

"Fine, everything is healing as expected." She replied softly.

"Has Poppy changed your pain Potions?" He inquired.

"Last week." She nodded. "The ones I am on now weren't quiet strong enough and only lasted for two hours at a stretch." She explained. "She upped the dosage a little and things have been a little easier, but she is certain now that the limp will be permanent, but not as pronounced as it is now."

"That will make getting to classes difficult for you." He said with a small frown. "Though from what Lupin has said in his letter, you may not have to go to all classes." He glanced up at her as he began his meal. "He mentioned that you have a Mastery?"

She glanced across the table as Draco choked a little on his food at that. "Yes, Uncle. I actually have two." She nodded. "In Portrait making and Carving. My Master's recommended that I try for my Potions Masters when I finish this year if I wish it."

"Those records weren't passed on to us." He noted and made a note on the nearest letter. "I will have to write to your Masters and get them sent over."

"I can ask their Portraits to pass the information on if you wish?" She offered as she finished her meal and set her utensils down neatly on her plate. "It was their gift to me when I finished."

"I would prefer to do so formally." He shook his head.

"Of course." She nodded her head slightly. "I am still waiting for them to get back to me, when I released them from stasis they went to their duplicate portrait to make sure everything is alright…" She frowned a little. "That was over five hours ago, if nothing was wrong then they would have returned right away…" She sighed. "It is possible that they were injured in the attack, like I was."

"Possible, I'll send the request through your school." He nodded slightly. "According to the rest of your records you are average in nearly everything else bar Potions."

"Potions, Carving, Portrait Making, Charms, Ancient Runes and Transfigurations were my best subjects, everything else I am dismal at." She sighed. "I get nothing higher then an A in the rest of my classes no matter what I try to get better grades, I'm usually too distracted with my Carving and Painting classes…" She glanced up at her Uncle. "I'm not sure if you know of what exactly what is needed to be a good painter."

"Artistry is usually needed." He replied dryly.

"But that isn't all." She shook her head. "You have to have an open mind at all times, to receive images to carve or paint, no matter what you are doing. It's what made me a Master so young. I don't have to meet some one to paint them and to animate it to be just like the person in real life. I am open to my surroundings and images people put out…with that if it is important to the person or building is magical enough the images appear in my mind and slowly come into focus enough for me to paint and animate."

"That is incredibly rare." Draco gaped at her. "There hasn't be a Portrait Master with that ability for nearly eighty years, and sixty before him."

"It is becoming a once a generation ability and it is slowly getting longer and longer between Portrait painters, it doesn't matter how hard they try to pass on the information no one seems to have the ability." Rose nodded in agreement.

"I image that your detentions for inattention are from such occurrences? Along with the insolence and snapping at professors?" Severus inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes sir." She nodded looking down at the table in embarrassment. "I lose my temper when I can't paint right away when an image appears with enough urgency with it."

"Would it not be wise to close your mind when in other classes?" Severus suggested.

"I can't." She shook her head. "My Masters thought of that too, to be able to turn it on and off would have saved me a lot of trouble over the years, but I can't close my mind."

"Did they try Occlumency?"

"Tried and failed." She nodded. "I have no problem clearing my mind but it just opened me up more to the images, nothing they did could get my mind shielded, even enforced their shields over me didn't work, they crumbled as soon as they were in place." She growled in remembered frustration. "They tried for over a year and eventually gave up and just told my Professors to just be patient with me."

"Well we have a month to pick out your best subject to continue on with for your seventh year… for now we will go over the rules. If a door is close do not enter, there is no need to lock doors in these quarters, a closed door will get the message across that you wish for privacy. Do not enter my lab or disturb me while I am in there, call an elf to get me if it is an emergency. The lab three doors down is open for you to use, just leave me a sample to look over on the desk, let me know if the supplies get low. Dinner is mandatory to attend. No fighting or hexing, I have a ward on the room to let me know if you use magic and your wand will be confiscated for the rest of the holidays if you use it. If you are ill tell me, and I will get the necessary potions." He looked them both over sternly. "Any questions?"

"I am legally allowed to use magic" Rose replied softly. "Because of my Mastery, I use magic to cast the spells on the portraits and carvings. Mr Ollivander removed the Ministry tracker from my wand because of that."

"He took you on your word?" Severus raised an eyebrow at her.

"No sir, I showed him my mastery marks." She shook her head and slid her sleeve off her right wrist showing him two marks on her inner wrist. "If you know what to look for it is easy to spot a Master, even with out the paper work."

"I take it that in America all Masters are marked so?" He inquired looking a little unsettled.

"Every Master is marked so, only a guild can give the mark it stops impostors from gain work they aren't suited for." She nodded and then looked at him. "It isn't do so here?"

"No, just paper work and certificates and your name on record." He shook his head. "Only Death Eaters are marked so on the left inner arm…though there are those who have tattoos." He shifted a little uncomfortable.

"Death Eaters?" Rose frowned. "The terrorists that are misguided in thinking that being Pureblooded is everything and have no idea that their 'Lord' is not Pureblood?" She inquired.

"How do you know that?" Draco asked looking a little pale.

"Everyone knows in America that the 'Dark Lord' of the Pureblooded group is a fraud, that they are no longer following their 'writ' that they started out with twenty years or so ago and are now nothing but murders of a lot of innocent people, even wiping out the last of a few Pureblood lines." She shrugged. "It is common knowledge, our papers and Ministry are always picking on the British Ministry for turning a blind eye to the situation after they were knocked back countless times when they offered help. Now they just laugh at their stupidity, waiting for it all to blow up in their faces."

"And how do they know it will blow up in their face?" Severus scowled.

"They've been there and done that." Rose sighed. "American History is littered with Dark Lords or Ladies trying to wipe out the 'impure'. Now to stop problems from cropping up everyone is equal, Wizard, witch, Vampire, Veela, Werewolf, Werecat, muggle, Wicca or squib. It makes everything much more simple. There hasn't been a internal magical war or disturbance in nearly a hundred years because of the equality laws." She shrugged. "True most Muggles don't know about us but the government does. Some of my closet friends are so called Dark Creatures here in England."

"Interesting, we never knew that America offered help with the Dark Lord." Severus frowned.

"That's what your fight was about with dad wasn't it?" Rose asked softly. "Over this Dark Lord?"

"Yes, and Like he said I was a fool, some thing I will probably be spending the rest of my life trying to make up for." He nodded tiredly. "I was spying for an organisation that has been trying to take him down for decades but I was discovered a few months ago and have had to retire from spying." He glanced at Draco. "It is the reason Draco is here so early, his father gave him a choice, one I think he chose wisely on."

"Good for you." Rose gave the boy a small smile.

"Yes well Father didn't think so." Draco muttered.

"Many students who have Death Eaters for parents will be made to take the mark, but I know for a fact most of them don't want it, though there are those who will do what they are told because that was the way they were raised." Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Those I know for sure who don't want the mark have been given ways to escape when the time came and they made their final choice. So it is possible that with in the month we will have over a dozen students here." Their dinner plates suddenly disappeared and chocolate pudding appeared in their place. "We are also off topic a little, are there any requests?"

"I need to go to Diagon Alley soon...as I know what subjects I want to take this year I have a fair idea what books will be needed." Draco requested.

"I'll arrange it for the first week of August." Severus nodded. "Rose?"

"I'm not sure, but Poppy forbade me from leaving the rooms after Remus took me to Diagon last week for my new wand." She shook her head. "The only real request I have is if I am in my work room please don't disturb me if the door is shut. It makes me lose my concentration…it's much like being disturbed in the middle of a very complicated potion." She glanced at her uncle. "It makes me very grumpy and I often lose my temper when interrupted if it isn't for an emergency."

"I can understand that perfectly." He nodded. "Try not to miss too much sleep or food please, I don't want Poppy on my back over it." Then he paused and frowned a little. "A new wand? You mentioned that earlier…"

"I lost my old one and I needed one for my work…" She hesitated a moment. "A few hours later I was on a three day bed rest on Poppy's orders, I'd over strained my leg."

"And it couldn't have waited a few days?" He inquired his face closed off.

"I needed something to keep me occupied, and I need other things from the Alley too, but Remus set up Owl ordering for me now from most of the shops that I need things from, so I won't have to go again." She looked down at the table. "It's all in Remus's letter sir…including the reactions I had afterwards I have no doubt." She sighed.

"Reactions?" He picked up the letter and began reading the entire thing, which was basically a journal log of the days he hadn't been there. "I see, how many Pain Potions are you on at the moment from the moment you get up to the time you go to bed?" He asked still reading.

"For the last week it's been an average of four for a good day, seven for a bad. Today I've only had three. I've mostly been sitting all day painting." She replied with a small satisfied smile.

"But the day before yesterday you had eight." He said looking up at her with a frown. "It doesn't say why."

"I tripped." She flushed a little.

"Where?" Severus asked. "I can't fix things so accidents don't happen if you don't tell me."

"I slipped getting out of the shower." She felt her cheek heat and caught Draco staring at her right cheek with wide eyes and knew that her scar was now visible. She quickly raised her hand and hid it before ducking her head.

"Rose." Severus's voice was soft and there was a hint of understanding there too and she slowly looked up to see he had moved and was standing next to her and raised her head further with his finger under her chin. "There is no shame in scars, we all have them, some just aren't as visible as yours." He told her softly as he moved her hand out of the way and looked over her scar carefully even as the colour faded from her cheeks. "It is healing nicely, you can barely notice it." He lifted his eyes to the one over her left eye and critically looked it over with a careful eye. "Hmm, your eye is still slightly swollen and the scar is still red."

"Poppy said that it should be normal by next week." Rose murmured softly barely above a whisper. "He's still staring."

"Draco Manners." Severus barked, glancing at his gaping Godson.

"Sorry Sir, Sorry Rose." He apologised quickly and looked down at the table, flushing at his bad manners.

"What about the ones on your back, arm and leg?" He asked softly as he rolled up her sleeve to take a look for himself. "I am surprised that these ones healed so quickly and with out a trace." He murmured looking over her arm carefully as he had her eye. "No loss of movement or numbness?"

"It's still a little stiff in the mornings, mainly from having to lean on it to use the cane, which is why I have been sitting a lot for the last few days." She replied softly. "The scars on both upper arms are gone, so are the ones on the lower left, the nurses at the hospital and Poppy had thought they wouldn't fade as much as they have, which is good. The few on my stomach are gone as well as far as I can tell, Remus and Poppy tell me that the six on my back will stay if they haven't faded by now…" She sighed. "Poppy says that they are all still visible on her deep scans just not to the naked eye."

"That is still good news." Severus gave her a very faint smile. "And your leg?"

"Poppy informed me yesterday that is more then likely permanent the damage is just too bad, the hip to heel scar has faded from three fingers wide to two and no longer red." Rose reported even as she dug through her jacket pocket and pulled out her scar fader and opened the jar and sighed when she saw it was empty.

"And the burn scars?" He asked rising and walked to a cabinet and pulled another jar out and opened and dabbed a little on her cheek and then over her eye.

"They've faded significantly but they are still visible." She gave him a small smile in thanks. "I have to treat it once in the morning and once before I go to bed with muscle relaxants to remove the knots in my muscles on a good day…"

"And on a bad?" He asked as he sat back down in his seat.

"Remus has been massaging it on bad days when it completely seizes up on me." She replied wincing in memory. "Usually right after I take a Pain Potion, I still end up screaming in pain, but with the massages it's bearable." She looked up at him. "There is nothing else Poppy can do, she's sent my file to a few specialists, along with her views on how I have been progressing…"

"And?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Frankly they are surprised I am even able to walk on it or haven't had it removed when I was first brought into the hospital." She said flatly. "There is nothing they can do or recommend bar removing the leg and replacing it with a false one."

"I'll talk with Poppy." He said grimly as he continued flicking through the letters that were beside him. "The Headmaster should be here in a moment to add a room for Draco, are you sure your work room is enough for your painting and carving?" He asked not looking up.

"If I can get some of the tools and chunks of wood to do my carving in there it would have to be a another six feet larger minimum." Rose replied finally digging in to her now cold pudding.

"It is no problem to enlarge the rooms, it is just easier for him to do it all in one hit." Severus told them both. "He will be adding a bedroom and study for Draco for all his books, it will be no bother for him to add a few feet to your work room and bedroom, Rose."

"Well another three feet in my bedroom would be nice, I could add another book shelf in there, for the ideal work room, I need at least six foot square for my painting things and at least…" She paused thinking. "Depending on how big the project I work on it would need to be at least twelve foot square, add another three foot to one side for the equipment and shelving, would be best if there were walls and a door separating the two rooms so the dust and chips doesn't get in my paints." She looked at her uncle to see him nodding and taking down the measurements.

"Make a shopping list of the things you need for the carving and anything extra for the paintings, I will be going to Diagon tomorrow." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth. "And I will be paying. I am going to be busy over the next two weeks and won't have a lot of time for either of you during the day, I would rather you had something to do to keep yourselves occupied, weather it be painting, carving or brewing."

"Yes sir." They both murmured. He placed a stack of parchment in from of both of them along with a quill.

"I want the list before you retire for the night." He then looked at both of them. "And do not worry about the costs, if you leave some thing off the list because you think it is too expensive and you need it I will be annoyed if it makes you happy divide up the list with what you want, need and wish." He added before disappearing out the room and by the sounds of it out of their quarters.

"Yes sir." They murmured again and Rose slowly got to her feet and then cursed as she knocked her cane to the floor.

"Here." Draco hurried over and picked it up for her. "I am sorry about staring earlier."

"I know." She quirked a slight smile at him. "I'm just not used to people staring at them or noticing them…Poppy, Severus and Remus and the doctors are the only ones who have seen them." She shrugged and began the slow trip back to her work room.

"Would you like a hand with the list?" He asked quietly as he followed her down the hall. "Save a lot of back tracking to and from?" He offered.

She turned slightly at her door and looked at him steadily at him for a moment. She knew from his expression he didn't pity her or think her an invalid, he wanted to spare her the inconvenience and irritating her leg. _Some times it paid to have an open mind_. She thought with a small smile. _It makes it easier to read people. _

"If you wouldn't mind, it will probably save me from another three days of forced bed rest." She nodded in thanks and opened the door and let him in. "Lumos" She said and the room lit up to a constant bright sunny day that she needed for good paintings. "Table is over there." She gestured to the far left and made her way to the shelving unit next to it and opened up the glass doors.

"These paintings are amazing Rose, they are as good as the ones on the walls in the corridors all around Hogwarts." Draco exclaimed softly looking over them carefully. "Why are these two empty?" He inquired as he sat down.

"Those are my Masters, they went to check on the real them hours ago, they haven't returned yet." She gave the empty frames a worried look before returning to the shelves. "Okay split the list into three, NEED, WANT and WISH please and we will start with Need." She informed him with a small sigh. She gave him the twenty eight ingredients that she needed to make her paints. "Multiply them all by eight."

"Eight?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah they come in a set package, one pack will make four pots of paints." She nodded. "This isn't a cheap career, I really hope Uncle Severus has enough money for this." She sighed. "I need another twenty pots that are two inches wide and three deep, ten 30cm by 20cm canvas, ten 50cm by 30cm canvas, fifteen 65cm by 60cm, fifteen 90cm by 60cm, and fifteen 120cm by 60cm." She glanced at Draco to make sure she wasn't going too fast for him. "Add another ten each of the canvas's to the wish list. Twenty would be better." She sighed again and shook her head.

"What about the pots? For the wish list?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Fifty would be good." She chuckled as well. "With another ten extra packs of the ingredients." She looked back at the shelf. "Hmm, five packs of fifty sticks of charcoal, same for oil pastels, add an extra five each to the want list." She dug into a out of sight draw and pulled out a sheet filled with measurements. "Here list is the list of brushes, I go through them pretty fast, just copy the list and add ten of each in front of it…" She paused before she turned back to the shelf. "Damn, you can't use your wand." She cursed under her breath and when he shook his head she untucked her wand and cast a quick charm to copy it on to the list he was making twice, once in the NEED list and another in the WISH list. "Just add ten to the front of everything." She suggested and tucked the wand behind her ear. Before pausing to really think about it. "Actually make it five of all the brushes and ten to the wish."

"Just how long does a brush last?" He asked with slightly wide eyes.

"With me? About a week, three if I am lucky." She gave him a faint smile. "I rarely used to sleep much no more then six hours a night, I spent the rest of my time painting or carving. Oh I need at least thirty Pallets, twenty for the wish list." She scowled at the four remaining pallets sitting on the shelf. "I can brew the cleaning solution for myself…" She murmured to herself, not noticing Draco adding it to the list with a small question mark next to it. "That should be all I need for Painting…"

"Is that easel big enough for the big canvas's your ordering?" Draco asked looking at the little easel dubiously.

"No, I'll need a number four easel, just one." She nodded slowly.

"What about the carving?"

"Well I don't know where my old tools were placed from home, I know I was out of all of my painting gear before the attack on the alley…" She frowned chewing on her lower lip thinking. "I wonder if the poor little thing can still hear me?" She murmured.

"Rose?" Draco asked looking a little lost.

"Oh my house elf, I was wondering if she could still hear me, or where they all would have gone, Uncle Severus is the only family left…" She replied still frowning.

"They are probably either here helping out in the kitchens or at Snape Manor, Professor Snape would be their master now…"

"No, Binky was mine, father bound her to me for passing my Mastery, she helped me for ages get everything I needed and keep it straight for me." Rose shook her head.

"Then she should hear you when you call." Draco told her with a small shrug, "Only way to find out is to call her."

"Binky!" She called.

"Mistress is alright!" A little house elf appeared with a pop exclaimed in pleasure, tears welling in it large eyes, hands wringing in a blue long shirt. "Binky couldn't find Mistress!"

"It's alright Binky." Rose smiled tearfully at her. "I need to know what happened to my carving equipment that was in my work room at home."

"We was told to close Prince Mansion and spell everything dust free if you decided to return at a later time." Binky replied hands still wringing the shirt. "Yours things are still in your work room."

"Good, soon there is hopefully going to be another room here, when I call you back I want you to look over the room and then bring everything there, I need to know what I need." Rose said happy that she wouldn't have to replace everything.

"Is Binky still to help you?" Binky asked tearfully.

"I am going to need it." She nodded, she turned to the door as some one knocked. "Come in." She called out. "Uncle." She nodded.

"The Headmaster is here to make the adjustments." He informed them and then spotted the elf and raised an eyebrow.

"This is Binky, she was mine, she helped me in my work rooms. I called her to find out where my carving equipment was so I wouldn't have to replace everything." She replied to his unasked question. "Binky this is my Uncle."

"At least you wont be picking up heavy things with your injuries." He sighed. "Please move to the sitting room while the Headmaster makes the adjustments."

"Yes sir." They nodded.

"Binky I'll call you back soon."

"Yes Mistress." Binky nodded and popped away.

As soon as they were seated the Headmaster disappeared down the corridor. Rose carefully massaged her leg while Draco worked on his own list of things that he needed. Rose doubted that it was anywhere near as long as her was or as expensive.

Nearly an hour later the headmaster left and they returned to her work room to find a second door had been added and looked inside.

Rose cast a measurement spell and found that the room was nearly twice as big as she asked for, before doing the same with her painting room and found that it was twice as big as before and glanced at her Uncle who was standing in the door way.

"Albus thought it wiser to give you more room then you asked for, make it easier for you to move about and not have to worry about running out of room." He shrugged before turning and left the room.

"Good idea." Draco murmured. "Especially for you."

"Why me?" She glared at him.

"Well you can't exactly leave our rooms at the moment now can you?" He pointed out. "No need for you to start feeling claustrophobic. You are going to be spending a lot of time in your rooms, so you need more room." He shrugged as he pointed out the logic in it.

"True." She sighed. "Right, Binky!" The elf popped in again and looked over the room with wide eyes. "I think the equipment would be good against the far wall, with the bench and shelving along that wall." She pointed out where she wanted everything, trying to ignore how their voices were echoing around the room.

"Yes Mistress, that be good." Binky nodded and then popped out of the room, returned twenty minutes later with everything in place as she arrived. "Good?" She asked looking at it.

"It's good for now, Binky, we can move it around later if we need to." Rose assured her, before looking over the equipment carefully, saws, chisels, files, hammers of different size and weight, nails, glue, screws, varnish, sand paper, planers, pliers of different sizes and thickness, vices, hand grips, coils of wires of different types and thickness, piles of wood of different types, thickness and size, a shelf was full of sheets of coloured glass that was carefully cushioned. There was also a manual foot pedal sharpener for her chisels and saws and on the other side was a buffer to polish up the wood and a sander.

"So what do you need?" Draco asked as he looked it all over curiously. "Couldn't you do most of this by wand work?" He added.

"I could yes, and most of the time I do for really delicate work, most of this is for big jobs like making tables and cabinets. I liked the feeling of actually working with the tools on the wood, now I'll be restricted mostly to spell work." She sighed a little in disappointment. "Some of the work, Binky could do for me but there are things that she just can't use with out hurting herself." She shook her head a little sadly, before going over the items again. "I need two each of 30ltr tins of clear and dark varnish, five bottles of wood polisher, I need five bottles each of powdered enamel in black, blue, emerald green, yellow, silver, red, gold, white and purple…" She paused looking around. "Binky where is the blow torches?"

"In Trunk Mistress." Binky pointed out a large trunk in the corner.

"How's the gas in them?"

"Nearly gone." Binky replied after a quick check.

"Okay make sure you write this down exactly Draco." She warned him. "In the Muggle World I need a 50ltr gas bottle, it will be about five foot high as his body size wide. It is natural gas as in flammable, do not shrink it, call Binky to pick it up but under no circumstances shrink it or Portkey it." She looked at Draco. "Underline do not shrink…" She told him grimly.

"What happens if you do?" He asked curiously.

"It eventually explodes rather violently when you unshrink it, lost a house elf that way, took us four days to find all the pieces." Rose shuddered and saw Draco do the same out of the corner of her eye. "Either way the bottle should last me three to nine months depending on what I am working on. I also need 60m of silver solder, 10m of gold solder…" She bit her lip thinking as she joined Draco leaning on the bench. "Here let me look over what we've got written down." She looked it over carefully before adding coil of gold at 5mm in width and 10m long, a coil of silver at 5m width 20m long and 10mm width and 20m long. "Everything else I can transfigure or owl order." She sighed, before adding a few things to the wish list and want list. "Have you finished yours?" She asked as she blew the ink dry before rolling it up.

"Yes while the Headmaster was adding the rooms." He nodded and then tilted his head. "Never did go and see what he's done to mine." He murmured as she followed him out of her work rooms and closed the door and smiled as she caught the plaques on the doors. Rose's Work Rooms. Rose's Bedroom.

It was then it occurred to her that her room has been shifted down a little. Next to her bedroom was now a bathroom, the Draco's Bedroom, Draco's Library and then it hit the sitting room. She glanced at the other side, one door was unmarked but the other was marked LAB then it was her work room, another bathroom and leaning forwards a little spotted the words LIBRARY on the last door on the right, though on the left were two unmarked doors. She guessed the unmarked room on the right was Uncle Severus's room and just like his Lab was never to be entered.

She opened her bedroom door and blinked as she stood in the doorway, stunned. The front part of her room was now set up like a little sitting room, with a gap between her book shelves with a nice cheerfully burning fire place with a comfy looking couch in front of it with a thick rug on the floor and coffee table. In the far right corner was her bed and bedside table, to the left her wardrobe was now a walk in built in to the wall. All along the left hand wall were her bookshelves that no longer looked like they were fighting for room, one the wall closet to the door were her paintings evenly spaced out and above the fire was the large portrait of her family smiling down at her but still immobile.

She also noticed that the thick carpet that had been in the room had been removed and it was now all wood, giving her less chances to slip or trip when not paying attention.

In between her bed and sitting room a large desk had been set up with a comfortable looking chair and a shoulder high book shelf that at a closer inspection held all her education books for easy access. Her inks and quills were neatly set up at the top of the desk and a glance in a draw found a large stack of clean parchment ready for assignments, essays and notes.

"Wow" She looked sharply at her door and found Draco standing in the door way with his hand raised to knock. "How big was this room originally?" He asked looking about but still in the door way.

"You can come in." She informed him with a faint chuckle understanding completely what he was feeling she was feeling rather overwhelmed herself. "Before the headmaster expanded everything it was only about six foot square, now it's nearly the size of my work rooms put together." She shook her head and slowly made her way to the couch wincing and limping a bit more heavily then she had a few moments before. She sat down carefully and found that the couch was just at the right height to sit down and get up out of so it wouldn't cause her too much trouble. "What about your own room and library?"

"My room is about this size and so is my study and library, maybe a little smaller." He shrugged. "I didn't realise that I had that many books from home with me."

"You probably didn't, house elves can be very fast." She chuckled. "I noticed that there is also a library at the end of the hall on the right as well." She shook her head. "Some thing tells me that I won't be attending classes this year." She sighed. "Or at least not the first term."

"You still have two months in which you can take things easy and recover at your own pace." Draco pointed out as he sat down on the other end of the couch. "From what I understood from dinner your scars have healed very nice in just three weeks."

"Yes but my leg isn't." She shook her head. "From what I've gotten from Poppy this is as good as it is going to get." She stared into the fire. "She is hoping that the pain will fade in time and so do I." A clock chimed and she caught sight of it on the mantle. Eleven o'clock.

"I'll take your list to Professor Snape." He offered as he stood.

"Thanks." She handed it back to him and slowly stood. "I'm heading to bed after I've doctored everything."

"Night." He replied as he left her room and closed her door.

She undressed and placed the different creams in the proper places, took a Pain Potion and dress in her pyjama's and climbed into bed.

"Nox" She said softly and the lights faded and closed her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Rose woke at her usual time of eight in the morning. She gathered her clothes and her potions and made her way to the shower. She had a quick shower in the bathroom that had been modified a little, there were now half a dozen bars around the bathroom for her to lean on to help her get around with out her cane.

She dried off, plied her potions to her scars that she could reach and pulled on her under ware, before massaging the relaxant cream into her injured leg after she was sure that the scar fader had soaked in enough. She then pulled on her shorts that she had chosen for the day and the open back holter neck shirt so some one could apply her cream to her back. Brushed her hair and pulled it back into a bun and brushed her teeth, grabbed her cane and slipped the Pain Potion into her pocket and made her way to the dinning room for breakfast.

Her usual tea, toast and eggs were waiting for her by the time she sat down. The rooms were very quiet, she guessed that Uncle Severus had already left and Draco was still sleeping. Finishing her meal she started on her second cup of tea while thinking of what she wanted to do for the day.

She could start a carving project or do a painting if an image was willing to form for her or she could limp down to the lab and brew a few potions. She didn't think that she could honestly do any carving for at least a week, when her leg was a little better.

Her best choices were Brewing or painting as she could sit for both and she was slowly leaning towards painting. She looked up as she heard some one entered the room and nodded in greeting as her Uncle walked into the room dressed for his outing and picked up a large mug of tea that appeared as he sat down.

"I wasn't expecting any one up this early." He commented a little surprised. "Draco doesn't rise until nine during the holidays."

"I'm usually up at seven whether on holidays or not no matter when I went to bed." She shrugged. "This last week I have been rising at eight on the dot." She smiled slightly. "So I guess I have been sleeping in lately."

"Do you need me to do your back?" He asked nodding to the jar on the table.

"Please." She nodded. "It's become a part of the breakfast ritual, wake, shower, massage leg, dress, eat toast and eggs, two cups of tea, get some one to do back continue on with normal day." She chuckled a little as he stood up and deftly dabbed the cream on her six long scars across her back. "How do they look?" She asked glancing over her shoulder.

"They aren't as thick as they used to be or as red, I think in another week they will be like the scar on your cheek." He offered his opinion as he quickly rubbed the cream in before capping the jar and moving to the kitchen to wash his hands. "I should be out for most of the day, I'll be back for dinner. Just stay out of trouble and don't destroy the rooms." He smirked at her before he finished his tea and left their quarters.

She shook her head with a faint chuckle and wrote out a quick note for Draco, that she was painting, Uncle had left and would be back for dinner.

She made her way to her work rooms and set a medium size canvas on the easel and uncapped her paints before sitting down. She cleared her mind like she had been taught and found an image quickly appearing obliging her.

Her brush moved in quick sure strokes from paint to canvas and back again, drop the brush in the cleaning solution and change brush size and continue on, half an hour in she paused to drink down her Pain Potion before continuing.

Finally done she leaned back and dropped her brush in the cleaning pot and stared at the painting and chuckled.

It was of the headmaster sitting in an overly large cushioned single chair in front of a fire reading a book and on his feet were thick bright blue woolly socks, one hand was raised towards his mouth with what looked like a piece of yellow candy. In the background of the room was a window where snow was gently coming down during the night. To his left was a phoenix, preening near the fire.

She shook her head in amusement and started the preliminary spells for the portrait to be animated if so wished and set it on the drying rack with the other two. She paused before picking up the first portrait of the animals playing and set it down on the easel to see if anything needed fixing or repaired. Nodding in satisfaction she cast a few more spells on the painting and took a deep breath to centre herself and cast the final spell and watched as the animals began moving around, playing around happily, with the faint gentle sounds of the dog barking, the wolf howling every now and again and the Stag stomping his hooves or bobbing his head down at the other two playfully.

She looked at the painting thoughtfully before moving in to her carving room and pulled out several lengths of dark maple wood out of a pile and using an old cast off piece of wood transfigured into a table in the middle of the room and used another piece to transfigure a chair before focusing on the four piece of wood.

It took careful wand work to cut the wood into proper lengths and then focusing on the carving design she wanted and casting the spell moving her wand very slowly down each length of wood watching as the design appeared in the form of vines but in each corner there was something different. In top left was a large lily, top righ was antlers, bottom left was a grim and bottom right was what looked like a little wolf cub.

She cast a soft sanding spell over the wood to take away any sharp edges, then was the clear varnish spell which also instantly dried which is one reason she loved the spell at times when she was in a hurry to get something finished. Then was the polishing spell, protections spells and long life.

It took a further half hour to mould the frame she had created to the painting with out damaging either one, the more protection spells on both so it couldn't be damaged and then hung it up on the wall until she knew who to give it to.

She then started again on four more pieces of wood at a slightly slower rate knowing the painting wouldn't be ready for the frame until morning. She wasn't sure how long later it was when she finally finished the frame, full of flaming Phoenixes and the strange yellow candy shapes. Shaking her head she set it aside after vanishing and polishing it ready for the painting in the morning.

All she had to do was figure out what to do with the second painting she had done yesterday before Draco had interrupted her.

She picked it up to look it over carefully as she didn't recognise the boy dancing in the rain with a happy smile on his face, his black hair was plastered to his head, his cloak flapping in the wind as he danced around. Nothing came to her for a frame so she set the painting back down and picked up her cane from where it was leaning against the shelf and limped out of her rooms to the bathroom to clean up before looking for a clock to find that she was just in time for a late lunch as it was close to two in the afternoon.

She settled for a fruit salad and glanced at the parchment she had left for Draco and found that he had left his own note that he was going to be in the potions lab. She finished up her meal and added to the note that she would be in her room reading and made her way to her room, picked up a jar of relaxant cream and massaged her leg that was beginning ache and took another Pain potion before settling down with a potions book to read in front of the fire.

0000

Then next day Rose spent the day in her work rooms with Binky sorting out everything that her Uncle had bought from her long list. He had gotten everything on her Need and Want list and a few on her Wish, mainly extra bits and pieces. It took Binky four hours to put everything away in it's own place with Rose transfiguring a few shelves.

She wrapped up the painting of the Headmaster in plain brown paper she had found before also wrapping up the three animals playing and balanced them both very carefully in her good arm and headed out towards the sitting room suddenly glad that she had left her door open for once. She spotted Draco in his study working on his home work muttering to himself as she passed by.

Her Uncle was in the sitting room with guests. The two very people that she wanted to speak to.

"Do you need something Rose?" Severus inquired a little surprised to see her out of her rooms.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I have a gift for the Headmaster and Remus." She nodded her head slightly towards the wrapped paintings. "I'm guessing the Hogwarts really likes you two, she was very insistent that I paint these for you."

"Hogwarts?" The headmaster inquired looking over his half moon glasses, motioning for her to come in to the room.

"Rose is a Master Portrait Maker and Carver, Albus." Severus informed him as he rose and lifted the wrapped paintings out of her arms.

"Top one is for Remus, the bottom is the Headmaster." Rose informed him. "Yes, Hogwarts, she is a very old magical building, I am surprised that I am not being overwhelmed by images that she thinks are important enough to be animated."

"I've always thought that Hogwarts is semi aware of what goes on in her walls, it is possible that she is being careful not to overwhelm you and probably shielding you." The Headmaster said thoughtfully as he carefully unwrapped his portrait and beamed at her, even as his old hands traced over the carved frame. "This is very detailed work Rose, how long did it take you to do both?"

"About eight hours at a guess." She shrugged. "Eighteen if you include drying time."

"Thank you my dear." He continued to look over the painting. "You didn't animate it?" He asked.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted it animated just yet but everything is in place for it to be done." She shook her head and then looked sharply at Remus as she heard a choked back sob as he stared at his own. "Remus?" She asked hesitantly, wondering if maybe this hadn't been the right moment to give him his.

"It's lovely Rose." He assured her in a voice thick with tears. "It's just been awhile since I have seen any of them."

"Actually I was wondering if I showed you another if any of you would be able to recognise him, I know I don't but Hogwarts was very insistent that I paint it." She asked looking down at her hands clasped on her cane.

"We would do our best my dear." The Headmaster agreed with a smile and called a house elf and handed his painting over asking for it to hung up in his office and Remus requested the same.

"Have your Masters returned yet Rose?" Severus asked as they all followed her down to her work room.

"No sir, it's been nearly three days. If they aren't back in a week I'll call them back." She shook her head and limped her way to the drying rack and awkwardly picked up the painting and set it on the second easel that was set up for them all to look at. "Usually when I finish a painting and it is ready to hung or given to some one I get an image of the frame that I created and attach to the painting and that usual helps me pin point who to give it to, but this one I get nothing…"

"Well who ever it is they certainly are happy." Remus chuckled and shook his head. "Have you tried animating it to find out?"

"Well that's the other thing about this painting…it feels incomplete but I don't know why." She sighed in frustration.

"Maybe in time it will come to you." Severus said quietly.

"It would be easier to identify him if we could see his eyes." The Headmaster murmured leaning in to get a slightly better look.

"Rose I was wondering, if you can animate a painting can you undo those spells?" Remus asked suddenly looking up at her. "Even if you weren't the ones to cast them?"

"Yes it's a part of the training." She nodded. "But there usually has to be a good reason for it especially if it is the only portrait of that person."

"I inherited a house from an old friend and his mother's portrait is in the main entry way and she is for ever screaming obscenities at everyone. We've tried everything to silence her and remove her from the wall but nothing has worked." Remus explained and she felt the Headmaster watching her in interest as well.

"It is possible, I would have to look over the portrait to see what spells are cast on it, depending on the spells I should be able to unanimate it enough to be moved to another section of the house or it will destroy it." She shrugged.

"You would also have to get permission from Poppy for her to leave or go through the floo." Severus added with a slight scowl. "Providing you can find her."

"I will speak to her." The headmaster nodded in understanding.

"If you do find her let her know that I would like a word." He scowled.

"I must be going." The Headmaster looked at a watch he pulled out of his pocket and then quickly disappeared out the door.

"Albus!" Severus shouted after him before following. "We haven't finished with that other topic yet!"

Remus just chuckled and shook his head. "Thank you Rose for the painting, it means the world to me."

"You're welcome." She flushed a little.

"You should get back to you paintings." He gestured to the large canvas sitting on the easel before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

Rose sighed glancing at the dancing boy for a long moment before returning to her seat in front of the large canvas and picked up from where she had left off painting a room in a home she had never seen, wonder just who her newest guest would be.

0000

Rose was just putting the last touches on the unoccupied room when some one banged on her door startling her, causing her brush to streak across a good three inches of the painting.

She just stared at the blob of green paint in the middle of her painting uncomprehendingly for a few moments before her temper rose. She dropped the brush in the cleaning pot, grabbed her cane and stormed to the door yanking it open and glared at Draco who just scowled at her.

"Your twenty minutes late for dinner." He grumbled at her.

"What part of don't interrupt me when my door is shut don't you remember, you stupid unmannered boy?" She shouted, clutching the door and her cane tightly. "Six hours of work down the bloody drain!"

"Dinner is mandatory." He reminded her growling.

"I don't care! I was not to be interrupted when working!" She yelled and then slammed the door in his face and cast three locking charms at the door before limping back to her painting and stared at the blob marring her work. "Stupid spoiled brat." She muttered as she carefully picked up a thin brush and a little vial of clear fluid and dipped the brush in it and carefully applied it to the blob, before picking up a foam brush and dabbed it with extreme care over it.

She ignored the knocking on her door as she continued to carefully remove the mistake until she was sure that she could no longer see a hint of the streak of green before carefully patching it up.

She dropped her brushes in the cleaning pot and got up and unlocked her door and moved to the bathroom to clean up before moving to the dinning room stiffly to find only her Uncle waiting for her sitting at the table looking over a letter.

"You are two hours late." He said with out looking up.

"I would have only been a few moments late if he hadn't startled me and cause me to jerk a streak of paint through a painting as I was just finishing up." She replied stiffly still standing in the door way. "It took me two hours of very careful delicate work to repair it."

"Was it necessary to lock your door afterwards?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"It had to be removed before it dried or it would have become a part of the painting. I didn't want any distractions while I fixed it."

"Sit, I had dinner kept for you." He pointed firmly to her seat. "He has been confined to his room for the rest of the night as he was told not to interrupt you while your door was shut and he was also late to dinner."

She sat down and slowly picked at her roast beef dinner.

"We will have another guest tomorrow staying with us until school starts. I'll warn you that he and Draco are…adversaries of a kind they do not get on well." He informed her as she finished up. "I will be confiscating their wands so they can't hex each other in these rooms, so any shouting you hear from them should be ignored, they need to learn to get along."

"Yes sir." She nodded slightly as she placed her fork on her plate.

"I also finally got a reply from Master Jacob Collins at lunch, with your results from your mastery. He informs me that he has only recently been released from the hospital a few days ago and wishes you to know that he is back to full health." He continued. "He also regrets to inform you that Master Hendricks lost an arm and severely injured his other and will no longer be able to carve."

"Oh…" She looked down at the table. "They were a partnership in work and life. Master Jacob painted and Master Hendricks made up the frames, he also created many pieces of furniture for the community." A tear slid down her cheek. "He must be devastated, he loved creating images out of the wood."

"He also says that their shop was destroyed in the explosion along with the portraits you made for them and if they have not returned to you by the time you are told this then it will be necessary for you to call them back." He added as he continued reading. "I must admit reading through their commentary on your mastery is quite flattering and they were ecstatic to be able to train a image receiver, the first in fifty years in that region." He paused to take a sip of tea. "They state you are welcome to write to them and send their condolences for the loss of your family and hope you are settling in well here." He glanced up at her. "Will be continuing with your work tonight?"

"Yes sir." She nodded. "There is a strong pull with this one, I won't be able to stop for long periods of time until it is done."

"Very well, at least I will have a warning you are going to be grumpy from being tired." He nodded with a slight chuckle. "How many Pain potions have you had today?" He asked as she rose with a grimace.

"Two, I will probably need the rest of my allotment to get through this painting." She sighed, flexing her leg carefully. "It probably won't be finished for another day or so, I won't know for sure until morning."

"If you truly need a pepper up let me know I'll leave one with Binky for tonight only." He informed her as he turned back to his paperwork.

"Thank you Uncle." She gave him a smile and returned to her rooms and sat back down at her stool and downed a Pain Potion before looking over the painted room carefully. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to be the usual traditional paintings she usual did.

It had the feeling of a Conclave portal painting that she had only ever done once as apart of her testing. It was basically a painted room spelled to be open to all portraits or the original owner of the said painted room.

She wasn't sure which one this was going to be at the moment but picked up her thin brushes and began adding little details. A tea set with cups, milk, sugar, lemon and what not were added to the coffee table. Spines of books were placed on a empty book shelf, papers were scattered on a desk in the far corner with ink and quill. A tray of sandwiches and sweets were added to the table.

Hours later she slowly sat back while cleaning off her brushes and once again looked over the painting still feeling there was something missing, the was a void on the wall above the fire place and another above the desk.

She closed her eyes while her right hand absently massaged her leg and cleared out her mind leaving only the image of the desk and the blank wall above it in her mind. Slowly a family crest formed and she studied it as it came into focus and began painting it. It looked similar to the Hogwarts crest but had been modified with several family crests, made into personal crests.

Finishing she washed out her brushes downed another Pain Potion and began on the main Crest that was to hang above the fire place.

Pausing after finished the second crest she absently scratched her nose, leaving a few smears of paint on her face.

"Binky" She called as she stood and moved the dancing boy back to the shelf and sat back down.

"Yes Mistress Rose?" Binky asked as she popped into the room.

"I need another large canvas on the second easel and a cup of tea," She requested as she mixed up another set of paints and turned to the empty easel, that was quickly filled with another large canvas and her right hand was quickly painting again and her left was filled with a warm cup of tea that she absently sipped at as she painted.

"Anything else Mistress Rose?" Binky asked.

"I need eight pieces of wood cut down to size for these two paintings, make it dark Jarrah wood or Maple." She replied her complete focus on her work.

She didn't notice when she finished her tea and the cup was removed, or that Binky finished up cleaning her brushes and dried them to be reused, cleaning out the cleaning pot and refreshing the cleaning solution.

She paused to refresh the paints on her pallet and cast a few spells on the first painting before tucking her wand back behind her ear.

Slowly brush stroke by brush stroke a lake, grass, tress, a few rocks and picnic area began to appear during a nice sunny day. Another cup of tea absently drunk and four people sitting around the picnic began to appear, dress in old fashioned robes of good quality, they were talking, laughing and eating the picnic.

A jaw cracking yawn caught her off guard as she was in the middle of changing brushes and she shook her head to clear her eyes.

"Mistress Rose want Pepper up?" Binky inquired softly from her side.

"Yes please, Binky, only a few more little details, a few spells cast and it will be done." Rose nodded tiredly, as Binky pulled a Pepper up out of her shirt and handed it over. Rose downed it quickly, grimacing at the taste and felt the steam burst out of her ears before focusing back on the painting. She heard faint grumbling and glanced between her paintings to her open door and spotted Draco stager into the bathroom in his pyjama's. "Is it breakfast time Binky?" She asked turning her attention back to her painting.

"It is just after eight Mistress Rose." Binky nodded, her large ears flapping.

"It's been awhile since we've done an all night painting session hasn't it?" Rose smiled at her energetic house elf who just beamed at her. "Another cup of tea please Binky, and close the door I don't want to be interrupted just yet."

"Yes Mistress Rose." Rose heard the door close and another cup of tea was pressed into her left hand and she began sipping at it as she added a few little details before sitting back and looking over the painting carefully to see if she had missed something.

Satisfied that it was finished she turned back to the Conclave and looked it over once more before nodding and put her brushed in the cleaning pot, still sipping at her tea. "Place them on the drying rack for now Binky, I'll do the frames up tonight after I've slept." She requested as she slowly stood, her tea cup changed hands and her cane was gripped in her left and lent heavily on it to get to the dinning room for breakfast and slid into her seat.

"You are still covered in paint Rose." Severus chuckled quietly.

"Yes Uncle." She mumbled finishing off her tea and poured a second before picking up her toast and nibbling at it.

"Have you slept yet?" He asked watching her carefully.

"No, I just finished." She shook head tiredly. "I thought I would come out and eat, cast the last few spells on the paintings and then fall into bed." She covered her mouth as another yawn caught her. "Maybe just spells and bed is better." She muttered as she slowly got back up.

"Would you like a quick leg massage so your leg doesn't seize in your sleep." He offered watching as she limped heavily.

"Be nice." Came the mumbled reply as she left the room.

She made it to her drying paintings and cast the last few preparing spells on them, thought the Conclave would need a few more once she had gotten some sleep.

Severus met her in the hall and helped her to her bed and transfigured her clothes into a warm top and silk boxers and gently cleaned the paint off her hands and face. He set her cane against the bedside table and helped her slid into bed and massaged her leg gently, wincing a little himself as he felt how tight some of the knots were in her muscles.

Rose mumbled a sleepy thanks as she drifted off to sleep unable to stay awake and enjoy the loosening of her muscles.

0000

Rose woke to shouting coming from the hallway and groaned as she recognised Draco's voice throwing a tantrum as if he was three. She sat up slowly and pulled on her dressing gown, gathered up her cane and clothes for after her shower and made her way slowly to her door, glancing at the clock on the mantel as she passed.

One O'clock.

She'd gotten five hours sleep after doing nineteen hours of work. She got her door open , just as Draco spun and kicked the hallway wall. His hair was in disarray, his face was red with anger and his clothes were out of place.

Rose just blinked at him her face blank and then at her Uncle who was standing near Draco's bedroom with a similar blank look on his face.

"You are how old again?" Rose inquired as she closed her door behind her and moved for the bathroom door. "One would think you were three not sixteen with all the noise you are making out here." She looked at her uncle. "He acts like a child, treat him like one. Make him stand in a corner for a time out." She suggested before closing the bathroom door behind her and focused on getting clean.

She doctored her scars that she could reach and her leg before pulling on a backless shirt of green silk, and loose legged pants so they could be rolled up with ease. She ran her brush through her hair and pulled it up into a tight bun, and slipped her jars into her pocket before heading for the dinning room for a late lunch.

She had to smirk as she passed the sitting room to find Draco standing in a corner staring at the wall muttering to himself. She joined her uncle at the table and immediately snatched up her tea cup and sipped it a few times before digging into a roast pork and salad sandwich.

"So what caused him to be three?" She asked quietly between bites.

"I wouldn't let him out to fly on his broom." Severus shook his head. "After he had already snuck out this morning while I was in the lab to fly for three hours before sneaking back in."

"Ah, if he had asked he would have been able to?" She asked as she set the jars on the table beside her plate as she finished her lunch in a few quick bites.

"Precisely." Severus nodded. "How is your leg?" He asked as he stood and opened the grey jar and doctored her back for her.

"It feels great, it's the loosest it has been since the accident, I can actually walk with out it twinging all the time." She glanced at him. "You tinkered with the massage balm?"

"I did, but you will have to be more careful moving about for a few days as it is a more concentrated version of the relaxant you have been using, mixed with a slight pain killer." He nodded as he recapped the lid and then washed his hands. "It should only be applied before you go to bed. Other wise keep using the other in the morning, between the two of them they should help you move about better and let you leg heal a bit." He returned to his seat. "Poppy will want to rescan your leg in a few days to see if the new balm is actually helping or just masking it."

"Good idea." She nodded as she finished off her tea. "I'll be finishing off the paintings today, mainly the frames so I'll be in the back if you need me." She added as she rose, cane already in hand.

"I thought you were only working on one?" He asked as she walked.

"Second one hit just as I was finishing the first around eleven last night." She shrugged. "Not the first time that has happened, probably won't be the last." She looked over her shoulder. "When is our guest arriving?"

"Soon, you will probably meet him at dinner." Severus sneered slightly.

Rose just nodded and made her way to her carving room and sat down at the table at the eight pieces of wood Binky had already prepared for her and began casting spells.

Two hours later she ended up with one set that was covered in Snakes, Lions, Ravens and Badgers, she guessed that was for the picnic painting and the other was a pattern of crossed wands and a violin in the middle surrounded by vines.

She cast the clear varnish spell and polishing spell and then called Binky in to bring in the paintings.

Rose carefully stuck the frames together around each picture and cast the fusion spell with adhered the frame together and to the painting. She then cast a few spells on the picnic painting and told Binky to hang it up in the other room, all it need was the final animation spell and turned her attention to the common room painting.

It only need two more spells. One to make it open to those on the crests and any other they wished to invite, which was a rather tricky and powerful spell. It all depended on how she cast it to how soon she would be able to animate it. This spell was a little strange as it was never cast the same way twice by the same person. None of the masters could really explain why, it was just the way it was.

She took a deep breath and centred herself and cast the spell and watched the painting carefully for any changes. Because if it had been cast wrong it would change the painting and ruin it, and the caster only had fifteen minutes in which to remove it and try again, before the spell became a part of the painting.

Giving a slight nod to herself she then cast the protection spells and then the animation spell and gave Binky the painting to hang up in the other room. If she had done it correctly, any portrait connect to the that room or crests would feel it and come to investigate in a few hours.

She returned to her paintings and looked over the two empty ones and cast the spell to recall them from where ever they had gotten too, and hoped that they hadn't gotten damaged in their time away.

She looked over the picnic scene and cast the animation spell, knowing that it could some times take hours for the people in such a scene to realise that there was some one watching them.

"How soon until dinner Binky?" She asked as she turned her gaze to her family who were still frozen in time.

"Three hours Mistress Rose." The elf replied looking up from scrubbing a few paint spills on the floor.

"I'll be in my room if any one needs me." She murmured as she left her work rooms and slipped into her bedroom with out anyone noticing and sat down in front of the fire and stared up at the portrait fiddling with her wand for awhile before closing her eyes briefly and cast the animation spell but didn't look up as she heard them shift a little, just continued to stare into the fire.

"Rose…where are we?" Her father's voice asked and she felt a tear slip down her cheek. "This isn't any of the rooms in the manor."

"Honey?" Her mother called for her attention and another tear fell.

She slowly raised her face so she could look at them and she found her mother hugging Lucas tightly with a worried look on her face.

"Mama" Rose whispered as the tears slowly fell faster, she raised a hand to cover her mouth to smother a sob.

"Where are we Rose? Why aren't we at the Manor?" Her father asked in confusion.

"We…" She choked out and stopped and closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths and tried again. "We are at Hogwarts in Scotland." Another slow deep breath. "I am staying with Uncle Severus, I've been here just over two weeks."

"And the scars?" Her mother asked softly, watching her daughter closely.

"There was an attack on Murdock Alley a few days after school was let out for the summer." She raised her hand a little more and wiped away the tears. "It was Lucas's birthday and a late celebration for me completing my Mastery… we'd only been there a little while and there was an explosion as I was running to catch up with you…I woke up in pain in the hospital, no one knew what happened to you." Her voice cracked and she grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it to her chest. "I fell into a coma for two weeks before I woke up, a few hours later I was told you hadn't survived and I was being transferred to Saint Mungo's in London where Uncle Severus would pick me up and take me in."

"You don't know what happened?" Her father asked quietly. "What caused it or…"

"No, no one has told me anything. The Ministry here in London is telling everyone that while there was an Attack in LA no one died." She sniffled and moved on the couch so her legs were laid out and she could lean against the high arm. "Uncle Severus and the Headmaster are still trying to get information on what happened, a month later." She looked up at her parents her eyes red and puffy, still leaking tears. "Why did you never tell me about Uncle Severus?"

"He made a bad mistake and we had to leave England because of it to stay safe. It was safe for him and you if you didn't know at the time." Her father sighed. "But you are right I should have told you when you were older." He shrugged a little. "I can't change how things worked out, no one can."

"I know."

"Why'd it take you so long to activate us then?" Lucas demanded in his little four year old voice stomping his foot. "It been a month!"

"I was in a coma for two weeks Lucas and after I got here…" She trailed off and dashed away the tears again. "I couldn't face it just yet, I'm still not sure I am ready to really believe that you won't be here." She bit back a sob and she heard a faint knock.

"Rose?" Severus's voice called out just before her room opened a little and he slipped into the room and froze at the sight on the moving portrait. "Sean, Jean." He nodded to them both and moved to sit beside Rose and pulled her gently away from her pillow and wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.

"Severus, she isn't ready for this." Sean told him softly. "You will either have to get her to remove the animation spell or take us out until she is ready."

"Hiding you away isn't going to help her Sean" He shook his head. "She just needs to cry, she's been through a lot, and to be honest I haven't been here for her, I had a friend look after her while I took care of everything." He rubbed her back carefully. "I've only been back a few days. It took longer then I thought to go through all your paper work." He glared up at his brother. "You sure do know how to leave surprised don't you?"

"What do you mean?" Sean frowned.

"I mean the vault you got from Potter when they died." Severus growled.

"James is dead?" Sean stared at him in stunned shock.

"It was Wizard wide news when the Potters died nearly sixteen years ago Sean." Severus snapped at him. "When the Dark Lord first fell, it was too their son."

"No, I got a letter from him every month, he said that it was a ploy to the Death Eaters wouldn't find him and Lily." Sean shook his head.

"Believe me Sean they are very, very Dead." Severus sighed. "It seems some one has been forging his letters…who knew about your friend ship?"

"Severus listen to me." Sean shook his head. "It was his signature, magical and his ring sealed into the parchment. No one can fake that!" Sean snapped.

"It can be." Rose sniffled as she slowly pulled back out of her Uncles arms. "If a house elf does it." She informed them all, accepting the handkerchief to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. "If he has a portrait he would write the letter with a quill he spelled to dictate for him, have an elf seal it with his ring and send it off. When a return came just have the elf read it to him." She looked up at her father. "Remember it happened with that scandal with Lord Jerimah eight years ago?" She reminded her father.

"Then why would he say it was a ploy that they were dead?" He rubbed his face in frustration.

"Well technically he's not, he is a living portrait." Rose replied slowly. "And with old family magic some one has to believe that the head of the family is still alive to keep the manor defences in place if the Heir is too young to take control. It is self protection, to stay hidden, keep some one believing that he was still alive to keep the defences of Potter Manor alive…" She trailed off and her eyes went a little wide. "Papa do you feel a Conclave room open to you?" She asked quickly. "It will feel like a tug when you get near the edge of the portrait?" She watched as her father moved towards the edge and nodded. "Go there, I'll meet you at the other painting." She scrambled to get up and nearly fell until Severus caught her.

"Slow down." He told her in a sharp tone, "You will only injure yourself more." He picked up her cane from where she had knocked over and helped her to her work room.

Standing there in the middle of the Conclave painting was her father and she grinned.

"I was right!"

"Explain for those of us who have no idea, please darling." Sean asked with a fond smile.

"Don't you recognise the crest above the fire?" She asked with a small smile.

"That's the Potter Crest!" Severus sneered.

"This is what I was working on when Draco interrupted me, it's not actual Portrait but a link between many Portraits keyed in through individual crests that are added into the painting by the artist. It becomes a common meeting ground for portraits to meet up, gossip and catch up, but only those who are keyed in can enter. They care called Conclaves, they are actually a lot hard to do then a normal Portrait because it is such complicated magic." She explained as sat down on her stool. "Better yet it also connects in to ancient family magic as a last resort to keep a family line, history and magic alive." She looked at them and saw that they were both confused but still following her. "The old families had a defence written into their Wards centuries ago, so that if an Heir was ever orphaned and knows nothing of their family history and magics, the wards reach out and urge a Master Portrait Maker to make a Conclave so the Family Portraits could gather and teach the Heir what they need to know before their seventeenth birthday and they take over the Family as the Head." She looked at the painting. "But because it has become such a rare gift many Heirs have to learn from family friends and their Godparents."

"Alright I think I am following." Sean nodded. "When you painted this you had the urge to add the crests when normally this painting would have been finished once the actual people were added, but because it is a Conclave, the people weren't added but the crests were so those people could come from their own Portraits else where to gather here when they are needed. Right?'

"Right." Rose nodded.

"But that still doesn't explain James's letters" Sean pointed out to her.

"Belief is a very strong thing, father." Rose shook her head. "You believe strongly enough, especially with magic the stronger the magic is."

"Yes okay I get that." He nodded slowly.

"Your belief probably gave James just enough power to keep the wards around the Manor going all these years, he only needed one person to believe it enough to give him the power to keep everything stable." She explained. "We do magic because we believe we can and do so with confidence. Those with out that firm belief and confidence don't do so well."

"True, I have seen it in some of the students here." Severus nodded in understanding.

"James needed just one person to believe that he was alive and holding the wards on his Manor so they WOULD hold until his Heir was of age to take over." Rose replied with a small shake of her head. "Like I said it is very complicated magics."

"And confusing." Sean sighed. "So how long will it be before they start gathering?" He asked looking about the room.

"Well I only activated it two hours ago, so it could be anytime really." She shrugged. "Just how old is the Heir?"

"Sixteen, he turns Seventeen in two weeks." Severus replied.

"I hope it's enough time for him to learn the basics to take on the wards." Rose grimaced.

"Can some one else take them on until he is ready?" Sean asked with a frown, "That's what I arranged if anything happened to me before you were ready, Severus holds the wards for Prince Manor in LA."

"That's only possible if he has magical family left and they know what they are doing." She shook her head. "Does he have a godfather?"

"Not anymore." Severus shook his head. "He died just over a year ago."

"Well then no, no one else can take it from him. He'll need to start learning and fast as soon as they are all gathered." She shook her head again.

"He doesn't even understand half of what happens in the magical world or why." Severus growled.

"Then that was his Magical Guardians fault for not teaching him what he needed to know when he turned seventeen." Rose snapped. "Or even his teachers for not making sure that he learnt it." She sighed. "It going to take everyone gathering and some one real to teach him who also learnt it, to make sure that he does it right."

"That rules out Lupin then." Severus muttered. "I just bet Albus is going to make me do it." He sighed. "The Heir is our second Guest, Harry Potter."

"Well at least he won't have to go far to learn." Rose sighed. "I'll put the Conclave Painting in the Library so he can access it anytime, Papa can let me know when the other's arrive"

"Sure thing, darling." Sean nodded.

Severus called a house elf and had him move it to the library near a desk.

"It's time for dinner." Severus sighed. "Clean up and head to the dining room while collect the other two."

"Yes sir." She nodded and did as she was told. She was already seated when Draco stalked in to the room and sat down looking very annoyed. She just raised an eyebrow at him.

"I was napping." He grumbled with a slight flush to his cheeks. "I'm sorry about this morning."

"It's fine we all have bad days." She gave him a small smile as Severus stalked in with a sullen teenager just behind him.

"Rose this is Potter, Potter this is my niece Rose." He growled as he sat down and the meal arrived.

Rose nodded to him, which he returned. The meal we eaten in silence.

"Sir may I go to the lab and brew a few potions after dinner?" Draco asked as their plates vanished and pudding arrived.

"You may, just remember to clean any mess you make in there," He glared at him. "You forgot yesterday."

"Yes sir." Draco nodded.

"May I use the library to finish my homework?" Harry asked quietly.

"You may, I'll need to talk to you later as well." Severus nodded. "Rose, Poppy will be down at seven thirty to check you over again, so please don't get lost in a painting."

"Yes sir." She nodded. "I might browse the library for a bit."

"Just don't walk around too long." He nodded. "I have to go and meet the Headmaster, I'll be back soon." He rose and left.

"Poppy's coming down?" Draco asked with a small frown.

"It's time for my four day check up." She shrugged. "If I am lucky they will become weekly, instead of every four days." She grimaced as she stood and made her way down to the library for the first time. It easily held thousands of books, it also had a little study area with desks and chairs and another area by a fire with couches and chairs for reading.

She browsed a few shelves before she picked up a book on defence against the dark arts and settled down in a comfy chair near the fire to read.

0000


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Rose, where are you child?" Poppy's voice called out.

"In the library at the end of the hall Madame." Rose called back setting her book down on the table beside her, as the medi witch came into the library.

"Well some one has been renovating." Poppy shook her head as she set her bag down and looked about.

"The headmaster decided that it would be easier to add more rooms, so I wouldn't have to wonder all over the castle to get things done. That and with the extra guests…" She shrugged.

"Well that does make me feel a little better to know that you won't have to wonder all over the castle. It will put less strain on your body." Poppy nodded, relief showing clearly on her face. "Now, I would like to do a full scan again, Rose, so if we may retire to your room?"

"Of course Madame." Rose nodded and limped to her room, leaning a little heavier on her cane then she had been before. "My leg is a little stiff from sitting still so long." She explained quietly when she saw the concerned look. "That and my pain potion ran out a little while ago."

"You didn't take more?" Poppy asked as she gestured for her to lay down on her bed after they entered her room and closed the door.

"It wasn't that bad and I was only sitting I didn't see a point in taking more until the pain got worse." Rose shook her head.

"Rose." Poppy looked at her in concern. "I know you don't like taking a lot of pain potion, but if there is pain, take it. It is the reason why you are on that particular potion and not a slightly stronger one. It isn't addictive and it would take you over three years to become accustom to it, to the point it wouldn't work anymore." She began casting spells as she spoke, watching as all the data appeared on a piece of parchment beside her. "Remove your pants I want to look over your scar."

Rose struggled a little but got her pants off and laid back down and felt Poppy's wand trace of the long scar incanting the spell that would let her know exactly how the wound was healing.

"How has your leg been feeling with the new balm Severus did up for you?" She inquired as she began looking over the two parchments.

"Well I only got the first treatment last night, but my leg was a lot better in the morning." Rose replied turning her head a little to look at the nurse. "I took Uncle's advice and moved about carefully all day."

"You can get dressed Dear." Poppy nodded, still looking over the results carefully. She looked up when Rose finished dressing and sat on the edge of the bed. "My main concerns are your eye and your leg. The scans show that your eye is slowly healing, continue with the salves as you have been and we will recheck it in a few days. The true relief is that the eye itself wasn't damaged, just the skin around it so you wont have any vision impairment." She shuffled the pages and looked over the leg scan. "The scar is fading, some of the damage is healing but not the extent I had hoped." Poppy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed next to Rose. "I'm afraid this just confirms that the limp will be permanent. It may get a little better but…"

"But there isn't much chance of it." Rose nodded slowly in understanding. "What about the pain and the muscle cramps?"

"It will ease with time, Rose. As the damaged areas heal the pain will lessen, and the muscles won't cramp as much…" She hesitated and set her hand on Rose's shoulder. "But I am afraid that with the damage you do have you won't be able to walk more then fifteen minutes at the slow pace you have now before having to rest and take more pain potion. These rooms are about as far as you will be able to get around, the potions lab at the most with out doing more damage." She explained slowly.

"You're saying I won't be able to attend classes." Rose said softly.

"No you won't Rose. There are just too many stairs and too far a distance for you to do so." Poppy sadly shook her head. "Severus will have to arrange to have you tutored if you wish to finish your school or you can focus on your paintings and carvings." She reached up and gently stroked the girls hair. "I doubt that you will be able to leave these quarters very often bar the odd trip to Diagon or to be levitated outside to sit in the sun for a bit…"

"But other then that I won't be going any where." Rose nodded stiffly her face blank.

"The only way around that would be to have the operation for an artificial leg." Poppy nodded slowly. "Things would be a lot harder for a few months but you would be back to moving around. It would be your choice." She slowly stood and picked up her bag. "I'll let Severus know the results, but for now all we can do is continue the pain potions and the massage therapy."

"Thank you Poppy." Rose whispered as the witch left her room, closing the door gently behind her. A tear slid down her cheek before she could stop it and roughly wiped it away before grabbing her cane and limped as quickly as she dared to her work room and shut the door firmly behind her.

She looked through the different size canvas's and pulled out a medium on and set it on her easel. She uncapped her paints and began to slathered on the background colour of pale golden yellow, until the paint covered the canvas in a good thickness. Then washed the brush and added a few colours to her pallet and mixed it until she had a rich redish brown and covered the lower half of the painting. She washed out the brush when she finished and stared at the painting for a few minutes waiting for it to be touch dry.

With a thin brush and dipped into the black paint and began adding lines to give the perception of depth. Lines were added to the red paint to make it look like wood paneling on the floor. When done she had two yellow walls and a wooden covered floor.

She sat back washing the brush and look thoughtfully at her second empty easel and called for Binky.

"Yes Mistress?" Binky asked as soon as she appeared.

"Binky I would like a cup of tea and I need you to find my money pouch and head to the Artistry store, I want four two metres by three metres canvas's." She said as she limped very carefully with out her cane to her desk and wrote out what she wanted and handed the order to Binky.

"Yes Mistress." Binky nodded, took the note and disappeared, she reappeared a few moments later with a large tea mug and popped away again.

Rose waved her wand over the wet painting and a gentle warm breeze over the wet paint, slowly drying it enough to add more layers to it.

"Binky is back Mistress." The elf announced twenty minutes later just as she had finished drying the top layer.

"Place one of the canvas's on the big easel please Binky." Rose said absently sipping at the last of her tea and picked up another brush and looked at her paint pots. "Binky could you find the recipe for my paints and their colours and see if Draco or Uncle Sev is willing to brew up some more for me if they have time?" She requested and she began adding more layers of paint, after mixing a few more colours up. "I need to know if they don't have the time for it because I will need to go do it."

"Yes Mistress." Binky said and disappeared, after digging through the desk draw to find the recipes and the shelves for the packaged paints ingredients and clean pots.

Three hours later she had four indistinct dancers in the room and turned to the larger canvas while waiting for the paint to dry. She chose the biggest brush she had and began covering the canvas, before doing the dry spell again, and bit by bit small detail began appearing as she frequently changed brushes and colours.

A gentle knock caught her attention and called out a distracted enter.

"I have more paints for you Rose." Draco said softly as he carried in a large tray of pots already capped and entered the room and set them down behind her running out pots.

"Just five colours or did Binky give you recipes for a few extra?" She asked distractedly as she frowned in concentration as she worked on adding patterns to a rich blue rug on the floor.

"Extra, you have two purples, two browns, skin tone, silver and gold." He answered quietly, glancing over the two paintings she was working on. "Professor Snape said he would look over your recipes if you want and make up extra colours for you."

"Hmm, ask Binky for a list of colours I use the most, it would be helpful…" She nodded slightly with a small smile tugging at her lips as she washed out her brush and turned back to the dancers and began added more detail, in quick short movements with a very thin brush. "Thank you for the paints Draco." She added as she saw him shift a little out of the corner of her eye.

"Here is requested list of colours." Binky announced handing the list over to Draco. "Mistress is going to need bigger paint pot holder." Binky announced looking a little panicked and popped away.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked hovering at the door. 

"I will be." She said softly. "Just got some unsettling news."

"Need anything before I turn in for the night?"

"No thank you Draco, you get some rest it's late." She shook her head slightly as she changed colours and began adding hair to the dancers, now that she had finished with their faces.

"Good night Rose." He murmured before closing the door behind him.

She began humming as she finished off the dancers and began adding details to the walls. Time began to blur as she slipped into a slight trance as her brush moved in time with her soft song.

She didn't notice when Binky handed her pain potions to drink, or cups of tea. She didn't notice when Binky removed the emptied paint pots and replaced them with full ones. Or when the elf changed the solution in the cleaning pot when it got too dirty or when the finished dancers painting was removed from the easel when she moved to the large on and continued adding more and more detail, absently adding spells to the portrait. 

She absently ate the pieces of toast, cookies and grapes that Binky gave to her, to keep her going.

Rose blinked tiredly as she set her current brush in the cleaning pot and looked over her paint pots and blinked again. The table that held the colours had expanded and now held well over two dozen colours. There was also three more easels in the room then she remembered having, each holding a drying painting. She only remembered doing two of them, the other three were a mystery…well there was the dancing boy that she had no idea was…but more details had been added. A white owl was flying around him along with a phoenix. It also had a frame done in Holly with the owl, a snake, a phoenix, a lily and a stag beautifully carved into the frame.

She looked over the other two with a small frown, a dark haired teenager was standing in front of a white haired teenager, his hair reaching his shoulders and his arms wrapped possessively around the boy. They were both in Slytherin Hogwarts robes. In the dark haired boys arms was a old potions book, standing in front of desk with a brewing potion. It appeared they were in an empty class room working on something and the white haired boy had interrupted the dark haired boy. It had an ebony frame, covered in snakes and if she wasn't mistaken potions ingredients, with two family crests on the top left and right corners.

The other unknown was those two boys again, this time a little older. The white haired boys hair had gotten long and reached his elbows. Both were dressed elegantly, standing in a hall way, not touching but looking at each other with longing and pain in their eyes. Just the right of them was a large open door and from what she could see there was some sort of ceremony going on in side. She looked a little harder at the clothes before she realised that it was Graduation. Again the frame was ebony, the same two crests in the corners but this time there was only potions ingredients, nothing else.

Shaking her head a little she looked back to the large portrait she had been working on, from what she could tell it was all but done. It was of a study, shelves filled with books, there was a brown couch on a thick blue rug in front of a roaring fire. Filing cabinets sat behind the desk carved beautifully out of mahogany, paper work was scattered over the desk, a quill had been thrown down and leaked over a few pages and the ink well was dry. There was a photo on the desk that she couldn't quite see, the red old fashioned leather chair had been knocked over. She looked closer over the entire painting and found crests woven in to the rug that were almost unnoticeable.

She held up her wand and murmured 'Tempus'. Smokey numbers appeared and she blinked a few times. 14:00. It was two in the bloody afternoon. She had been painting for eighteen hours straight.

She picked up her cane and winced as her leg spasaimed painfully a few times.

"Binky." She called out, gritting her teeth.

"Mistress done?" Binky asked looking hopeful.

"Yes, I need a pain potion to get to the bathroom to wash the paint off." She hissed out between her teeth and was thankful Binky moved the stood so she could sit down and wait while Binky popped off to grab one of her pain potions. It didn't take her long to reappeared and hand over the little vial and Rose drank it down as quick as she could.

"Mistress want lunch?" Binky asked "Mistress's Uncle demanded to be told when you were finished and he would join you for food."

"Yes, yes lunch." Rose nodded tiredly and limped her way to the bathroom and washed the paint off her hands and her face where it had gotten smudged on at some point. She saw no one as she made her way to the dinning room and sat down at the table where only tea was set up. It didn't take long before soup appeared in front of her and another bowl in her Uncle's place.

Rose looked up from her soup as her Uncle stalked into the room looking agitated. She watched him closed as he gracefully slid into his seat and looked up at her. The same onyx black eyes from her last two paintings glittered back at her.

"How are you feeling?" He inquired, his voice was neutral. 

"Tired." She shrugged a little listlessly before narrowing her eyes a little. "Did you come into my work room this morning?"

"I did, I tried to get you to come to breakfast." He nodded slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"Were you focused on the past?" She asked again.

"Again why do you ask?" His voice started to sound a little impatient.

"I now have two painting of you when you were younger…with another handsome young man." She replied watching him carefully, and sighed as she saw pain enter his eyes. "If you wish I will put them some where, where you won't see them." She added softly.

"Have you activated them?" His voice was soft and barely heard.

"No, they aren't dry yet." She shook her head. He said nothing and returned to his meal. Rose bite back a sigh and finished off her soup. "Did Poppy tell you the results of my latest scans?" She asked quietly, not looking up at him.

"She did." He replied and then sighed. "I'm assuming that it trigger this latest session of all night painting?"

"I…" She paused and pushed her bowl away from her a little and leaned back in her chair. "I didn't want to see any one or think about it until it had all sunk in."

"Understandable." He nodded slowly. "Let me know when you are ready to discuss things, Rose, but you need to make a decision with in the next two to three weeks."

"What are my choices?" She inquired looking down at the table.

"I can arrange tutors from you, to continue your schooling. You can chose to forgo the rest of your schooling and focus on your paintings, or you can begin you potions mastery if you wish. Or you can choose to have a replacement limb, go through therapy, and tutoring." He said as he finished off the soup and the bowls vanished.

"Guess I have some thinking to do." She nodded slowly.

"May I see them?" He suddenly asked after a few moment of silence.

"Of course." She nodded and led the way to her work room. She perched on her stool while he looked over the painting she had done.

"You danced?" He asked a little surprised looking at the dancers.

"Professionally." She nodded. "I was even here in England a few times to compete. That is from the competition last summer, my partner and I came in second by a bare fraction of a point." She smiled in remembrance. "I guess I won't be doing that again." She sighed. 

"These two look familiar." He frowned a little pointing to the red haired couple, the man was a few years older then the girl.

"The Weasley's." She smiled fondly. "We've been in competition for the last two years. Bill and Ginny are great dancers and have complete and utter trust in each other when they dance. Since they joined the competitions it has been a true challenge to win, been lots of fun."

"Hmm." Was his only response before looking at the finished dancing boy and then looked over at the two with him in it. His posture went stiff and his face completely blank, but his eyes glittered with emotion. He reached out and gently ran his fingers over the frames, taking in every detail. "Put them away for now, please Rose." He asked softly. "There may come a day where I will want these memories again."

"As you wish Uncle." She answered softly.

"Another Conclave?" He asked in surprise looking over the large painting of the study.

"I think so." She nodded. "There are crests in the patterns of the rug. I think it is apart of a set to go with the lounge room one. From each room I'm guess they will be able to pass on different information."

"Hmm, that other one started filling not long after your visit with Poppy, mainly Potter's father and grandparents so far." He frowned. "Potter was muttering about needing his study to pass on some information…" He glared at said study.

Rose yawned and quickly covered her mouth.

"You need to rest, you can finish off the spells later once you have gotten some sleep." He said sternly and helped her to her feet and led her out of her work room. "At this rate your sleep cycle is going to be complete messed up." He growled as he opened her door and helped her to her bed. A few flicks of his wand and she was clean and in her pyjama's and her covers pulled back. He grabbed a jar from her bedside tabled and applied it to her scar down her leg and then began massaging it in gently but firmly. He then handed her a potion. "Drink it." 

She easily recognised it as dreamless sleep and gave him a light glare in protest but drank it down and laid down properly, quickly pulled down into sleep even as he continued working on her leg.

00000

Rose woke feeling groggy and out of focus. Working on auto pilot she grabbed a change of clothes and her cane before limping to the bathroom. The hot shower fixed her up but she still felt a little out of it. She doctored her scars, dressed and headed for the dinning room, where everyone had already gathered and eating breakfast.

"Feeling better?" Draco asked as she sat down and just stared at her empty plate for a few moments before fruit toast appeared on her plate with a large mug of tea.

"Hmm" She answered as she reached out eagerly for the tea and eyes still half lidded began sipping at it.

"Will you be in your work room all day today Rose?" Severus inquired looking her over carefully.

"Hmm" She nodded and set her cup down and began eating her toast.

Severus nodded and got up and doctored her back before leaving the room to wash his hands and returned to his breakfast. "What is everyone doing today?" He asked looking at the two young boys.

"I was hoping for some lab time this morning and then may I go flying?" Draco asked quickly looking up from his porridge.

"You may help me with the hospital potions if you want." Severus nodded. "You may go flying if your homework is done."

"Yes sir." Draco nodded slowly, thinking hard.

"Potter?" Severus looked at the dark haired boy.

"I will be in the library again sir." Harry sighed. "I don't have long to get all these spells and wards memories before my birthday. Between tutoring from my family and my homework I doubt I will get out today."

"Hmm, we'll see." He nodded slowly. "What have you gotten finished?"

"Charms, Transfiguration and History. I still have potions, DADA which is nearly finished, CoMC which just needs to be reread, herbology and divination." He replied with a small sigh. "Plus there are the extra tutoring I was taking privately with The Headmaster's permission."

"And what does that entail?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Ancient runes and Arithmancy." Harry shrugged. "I've been doing them privately for just over a year…" He sighed. "Since Ron and I fell out and Hermione isn't talking to either of us, I needed something to fill in the time." He looked down at his food. "I am dropping Divination this year, probably CoCM too."

"Rose or Draco might be able to help you with your private classes, both got good scores last year if you need it." Severus nodded. "If you finish, CoCM and DADA you may go flying for a few hours after lunch if you wish." He looked over all three of them. "I will be in the practice lab until two pm doing potions of the hospital wing if you need potions help then come and see me, or if you wish to brew some of your own for practice. I will be unavailable until dinner after that. After dinner I will be in my study for any homework help you need, My study is at the back of the library now with all the remodeling." He added with a small quirk of his lips. "Any questions?"

"Does any one have an owl order catalogue?" Harry asked as he finished up. "I need to order some more parchment if I am going to get all my homework done, I thought I had more then I do." He sighed.

"I have plenty you can have." Draco shrugged.

"So do I" Rose spoke up properly for the first time looking a little more in focus.

"When do our lists come out for the year?" Draco asked with a small frown. "And will we be able to go to Diagon to get our stuff?"

"Lists come out around the 10th of August, and that is still being decided." Severus replied. "Anything needed before then should be owl ordered, if you don't have the money it can be loaned until you can get to your vaults."

"Yes sir." Came the chorus.

Finished with her breakfast Rose looked at her Uncle and at his nod returned to her work room. Once again she looked over her paintings and had Binky put the two with her Uncle in them away covered so they wouldn't get dust or damaged. The dancing boy and the four dancers were hung up on her walls and activated. 

Perched on her stool she watched them both for a few minutes with a reminiscent smile before turning to the study and looking over it carefully to make sure that it was done. With a satisfied nod she moved into her carving room and had Binky carry the painting in and laid on the work table.

She had Binky draw out long lengths of Mahogany wood and cut into the right lengths for the frame and began casting spells, carving in leafy vines with lilies on them. When she was done she had Binky varnish them and looked over her wood pile.

Slowly an idea began to form in her mind and she smiled. She found thin sheets of copper from her old stocks and levitated them to the table before sitting down and lifted one single sheet apart from the other and began cutting out shapes. She spelled the sharp edges blunt so she wouldn't accidentally cut herself and set a large cauldron shaped piece on two blocks of wood and shook some ebony powder all over so it covered it evenly and got Binky to fetch her the medium blow torch and hook it up to the gas. 

She pulled on a apron, thick heat resistant gloves and goggles and applied heat to the bottom of the metal and watched as the powder melted into a black liquid. She continued until all the powder was liquid before turning off the torch and waited for a few moments for it to cool off so she could move it out of the way. She did this with each piece of metal, some times using different colours until she was done. 

She then pulled out a piece of soft brown oak and once she was sure all the liquid was solid began to piece it together until she was sure she had the all the in the right place. She then very carefully glued all the pieces together and reinforced it with a strong sticking spell and then stuck it to the wood.

Very carefully she began to adding in carved images in the background and then carefully sanded it and varnished the wood. She added a few little details with her paints and left it to dry.

She turned back to the study and found that it had dried and Binky had attached the frame for her. She cast a few spells on it and then levitated it out of her workrooms and down to the library.

She leaned on her cane looking about.

"Harry?" She called out when she couldn't spot him.

"Down the back." He yelled back.

She limped forward and found him in a discussing with a man who looked like his twin, except where Harry had bright emerald eyes this man had hazel. 

"Rose, I would like you to meet my father, James Potter." Harry grinned at her. "This is Rose, She's Professor Snapes Cousin."

"Niece." She corrected him gently with a small smile. "Mr Potter, how are you finding the Conclave?" She asked gesturing to the painting.

"Its very nice." He grinned.

"Where do you want this?" She turned the painting around so they could see the study.

"You made these?" James gaped at her.

"Yes I did, together they took me nearly two days to get done, with very little sleep I might add." Rose nodded.

"Umm, right next to each other if they'll fit." Requested Harry.

"No problem." She shifted the lounge down a bit and settled the Study next to it. She cast a few more spells at it and then nodded. "all done." She looked at James. "Next time you want another room, just asked Harry to pass on the Message I was up for eighteen hours doing the study yesterday, at Hogwarts insistence."

"I'll try and remember" James shook his head. "How old are you?" He asked tilting his head a little.

"Sixteen, I turn Seventeen in November." She shrugged.

"You're a Master?" He inquired. Rose nodded and showed him her marks. "What's the second Mark?"

"I'm A Master Painter and a Carver, wood mainly but I can do stone." 

"Would you be willing to do up a portrait for me?" James asked looking wistful. "If I can get some pictures to you for the image?" He glance around his painting and then at the Study. "I'll have some money transferred from our Vault to pay you for your wonderful work, I certainly think you've earned it."

"You're going to insist on paying aren't you?" She sighed.

"I am indeed." James nodded. "You need to pay for your supplies some how, what do you charge?"

"100 gallons for a normal soul portrait, 300 gallons for the Conclaves, as they take so much more time and power to create."

"Is that standard?" Harry asked, eyes a little wide.

"For a young unknown Master painter yes." She nodded. "Once I get a bit more practice in and get better at my work the price will rise…probably when I turn twenty five…I might not, it's not like it's law." She shrugged. "Some times I give them away as gifts, some times I sell them to who they were painted for but if they are requested or ordered then I charge for them. Those I paint on my own time because the image appeared I may only charge half price for or give away." She looked back to James. "Who did you want me to paint?"

"My Lily." His voice nearly throbbed with longing. "She never got her portrait done, the only one I have was never finished and was destroyed when Voldemort attacked our holiday home." He sighed. "all that is left are photos."

"As long as I have a few Clear and unmarked photos I should be able to." She nodded slowly. "Normal portrait size? What Crest goes on it, since it will be a master and not a copy?" 

"Normal size." James nodded. "The crests is this one…" He pointed to a crest above the fire. It was the Potter crest but instead of the Lion in the middle there was a Lily Flower.

"May I borrow a page Harry?" She asked gesturing to the parchment sitting beside him. At his nod she copies the Crest down in a few seconds. "Full name?"

"Lily Elizabeth Evans Potter." James replied, looking a little hopeful.

"I've seen this before…" Rose frowned as Harry passed her one photo from his Album that he had near by for some reason. It was of a young red haired, green eyed woman studying in a library, books and parchment were spread out everywhere and there was a smudge of ink on her nose. "Mr Potter did you ever send my father any pictures of you and Mrs Potter?" She asked softly.

"Who's you father?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That would be me, James." Sean said dryly as he stepped into the Conclave.

"Sean!" James jumped up and gave Sean a bear hug. He stumbled back when Sean shoved him hard. "What was that for?" James exclaimed startled.

"You bastard you never told me you were dead in all your letters to me!" Sean yelled. "For years I thought the papers were lying and you were just hiding away…" Tears welled up his eyes. "It nearly broke my heart when Rose told me the truth and why."

"Huh?" James turned to look at Rose.

"You needed only one person to believe strongly enough that you were still alive in order to keep you wards stable." Rose shrugged. "It was all apart of my apprenticeship." 

"oh." James looked a little upset and sheepish. "I am sorry Sean, you were the only one far enough away from the danger that it was safe enough to contact." He glanced at his son. "Though if I had known that Albus had sent Harry to live with the Dursleys I would have told him." He sighed. "As to your question Rose, I did send a few photos to Sean but not that one…it's the only copy."

"But I've seen this before." Rose growled and then blinked. "Wait…was this taken here in Hogwarts?"

"No, here at Potter Manor in our library…why?"

"Because I've seen it in my dreams. Hogwarts send me images some times and puts a strong insistence on the image so I will paint it…This image was sent to me a few nights ago…but your study overrode it." She shook her head. "I can start on this one later, I have a few other pieces to get done first." She turned to go and stopped as a white owl flew in to the library and settled on the back of Harry's chair.

"Hey Hedwig." Harry smiled and scratched her head. "What you got there?" He pulled a letter off her leg and opened it. "Hey it's from Ginny!" His smile got bigger.

"Ginny Weasley?" Rose asked with a raised eye brow.

"Yeah…you know her?" Harry asked with a small frown.

"I meet her two summers ago and every summer since with her Brother Bill." Rose grinned. "We are friendly rivals." She shook her head. "Harry come with me for a moment and I'll show you how I know Ginny…" She gestured for him to follow. "I gotta ask…you ever been dancing in the rain with your owl and a phoenix?"

"Why…" He broke off. "You painted it?" He blinked in shock.

"Hogwarts insisted." She nodded. "I didn't realise it was you until I saw your owl" She let him into her work room and led him to the paintings.

"Wow, it looks like a photo." Harry breathed looking at the painting of him dancing in the rain with Hedwig and the phoenix.

"It's not like other portraits though," Rose shook her head. "Hogwarts didn't want that, she wanted a memory. So it is very much like a photo…or rather a short video clip."

"Wow." Harry then caught sight of the four dancers. "You dance?" He asked in surprise. 

"I used to." She nodded, giving a sad smile. "This is of last summer, they beat us by a quarter of a point."

"Used to?" Harry frowned.

"I can't anymore." She gestured to her leg. "It's a shame because I was looking forward to this summers competition…I painted it so I would have at least a visual image of how good I was and how much I loved it."

"Can I ask…" He hesitated.

"Did you hear about the attack in LA at the beginning of the summer?" She asked quietly as she limped to her stood and sat down.

"Yeah, the papers reported that no one died but I figured if the explosion was as big as they said it was then there had to be casualties." He nodded.

"I was there that day." Rose whispered. "My entire family was, except for Uncle Severus. I was the only survivor of my family. Last I heard the body count was just over two hundred, with over three hundred injured or crippled." She pointed out the still portraits behind her. "My family, you met Sean, he's my dad. There is a full portrait in my room. I fell into a coma for two weeks after I woke initially in the emergency ward. I woke half blind and couldn't move properly, a few hours later I was told they didn't make it…I was given something to eat and pain killers and told of Uncle and shipped off to Saint Mungo's. I hadn't even been awake five hours and I was in a place I didn't know to go and live with an Uncle I had never met." She shook her head. "The first week here I was a mess." She smiled at Harry. "This is my second week here and awake." She chuckled as he just blinked a few times at her. "I'm still not completely sure it has all sunk in" She set the picture down on her stool and limped over to the blank canvas's and picked up a normal portrait sized one and set it on the easel.

"I should get back to my work…and I'll let you get back to yours." Harry gave her a half smile before scuttling out of the room.

"Binky." She called as she watched Harry disappear down the hall.

"Mistress?" Binky asked.

"Take the Dancing boy and…" She broke off thinking. "No…" She said slowly. "Ask the Headmaster when he has half an hour to spare could he visit my work room, and only if he is sure he can?" She asked instead.

"Yes Mistress." Binky nodded and popped out of the room.

Rose shook her head and uncapped all her paints before beginning the background of what would soon be Lily Potter. It didn't take her long to get the background painted in and left it to dry and hobbled to the second half of her work room and checked over her metal and wood picture and smiled at how well it had turned out.

She cast a gentle polishing spell over it, followed by a dust free spell, protections and then careful turned it on it's side and attached the hanger and levitated it out to her painting room and hung it up on her wall with a look of pride.

The metal pieces made up the image of her Uncle making a potion, cauldron included. In the background was his lab, carved into wood. There was also a border of beautifully carved snakes and dragons that surrounded the picture like a frame. 

The metal pieces had been enamelled making them shine and look more realistic, making the picture look almost 3D. It was only fourth time she had ever succeeded in making such a picture, out of the nine she had tried to make.

She turned and hurried back into her room and began cutting pieces again, carefully melting the enamel on the metal and then waiting for it to cool. When it was dry and glued it together and stuck it a board of dark mahogany. She carefully cared flames into the background, adding only a few faint touches of paint. The boarder was flames and then carefully varnished the entire thing, cast drying charms, dust free and protection charms, added the hanger. From the hanging of her first metal picture to hanging her second had only taken her three hours. She was damn proud.

Her stomach gurgled and she made her way to the dinning room for some lunch and snacked on fruit salad and a glass of pumpkin juice before returning to her room for a pain potion and back to her painting of Lily. Humming under her breath she began adding details to the library that could be seen, though it was mainly the desk, books, papers and Lily.

Looking at what she had done so far she rubbed her cheek wondering if she should do a bigger one as well and let James and Harry pick which one they wanted. At least that way they could use the information in the library as well as the study.

With a small nod to her self she pulled her wand out and summoned a bigger canvas that was twice the size of the one she was working on and finished off the one she was doing before starting on the bigger one half an hour later.

"You wish to see me, dear child?" A soft whispery male voice inquired.

"Hmm?" Rose's head titled up but she didn't turn from her detailing of the library on the larger canvas. "Headmaster?" She asked absently.

"Yes, dear." She could hear faint amusement.

"The Dancing boy was finished." She informed him with a small frown as she washed out a brush. "It's on the wall if you wish to look."

"Thank you." She heard the shuffling of his robe and shoes on the floor and entered properly and headed for the paintings.

She dipped her brush in the auburn paint and carefully painted in Lily's hair, and a few spines of books before washing out her brush again and wiping it on a rag, changed brushes to a thin brush to add details to her face.

"Have you recognised the boy yet?" She asked softly as she continued painting but took a quick glance at the headmaster.

"No I can't say that I do." The Headmaster was frowning.

"It's Harry, Hedwig and if I am not mistaken Fawkes." She told him with a gentle smile. "He saw it this morning and recognised it, it was something that happened a little while ago."

"I don't think I have ever seen the boy that happy." The headmaster breathed in sadness and amazement. "You dance quite well, Rose…who are your rivals?" He inquired.

"Bill and Ginny Weasley." She replied absently nibbling on her chin as she worked on a delicate bit. "It's from the International Dance competition of the Under Twenty fives, last summer. Bill only slipped in because of Ginny. They barely beat me."

"This is an amazing pieces of work of Severus and Fawkes, Rose." The headmaster sounded over whelmed. "It almost looks like you would reach out and touch them…how exactly did you do it?"

"Enamelled Copper." She absently answered adding very fine details including the Mrs Potter Crest on the cover of a book. "I've made ten to date and only five have ever turned out well, those two I did today and are the best." She sat back a bit to look it over carefully before changing brushes and filling in a few gaps. She did add a small Potter crest so James could slip in. "Have you seen the Potter Conclave paintings yet?" She asked as she finished off with a satisfied nod.

"You can do Conclave Paintings?" The headmaster turned to look at her sharply.

"Keyed in to specific crests so only those names can enter." She nodded and cast a drying charm over the painting. "Hogwarts insisted. At this moment James is teaching Harry about Potter Manor and how to take over the wards on his birthday." She looked up at the headmaster. "They are down in the Library." She rose and levitated the larger painting and picked up the smaller one and grabbed her cane. "I'll show you." She led him down to the library where Harry was talking and nearly a mile a minute and chuckled. "Sounds like you are having fun."

"Rose!" Harry grinned. "Headmaster." Harry nodded and shifted slightly to the side so his father could see the elder man.

"Albus!" James grin. "Rose is a miracle worker!"

"Say it again." She chuckled and turned the pictures around so he could see them.

"Lily." James breathed. 

"I wasn't sure exactly how big you wanted it. I had nearly finished the smaller one when I thought I would do a slightly bigger on so you could access the library as well as your Study." She explained why she had two copies.

"Rose you are a true miracle worker." James said with tears in his eyes. "It was only four hours ago I asked if you could do one…"

"I'm a fast worker." She shrugged. "Which would you like?"

"The larger one please." Harry whispered. "You can see her better."

"I thought so, I tried my best so she was a little easier to see." Rose nodded and set Lily on the desk and began casting spells.

"I thought you couldn't use magic?" Harry asked frowning.

"I'm a Master, therefore exempt." She replied concentrating as she cast spell after spell. "There, give her a few minutes so reorientation herself…but James you can step through." She smiled as she finished and James rushed into the new painting, kneeling beside his wife, murmuring softly to her as she jerked and began looking around quickly. "I'll leave you to get acquainted." She said softly and limped back to her workroom.

She sat down carefully and flexed her leg a little and winced. She called Binky for a pain potion before limping into her carving room and sat down at her work bench and pulled out some gold wire that was nice and thick and cut it to length.

Working slowly and diligently she slowly turned the wire into a thick banded ring. She carefully soldered it together and dug through a few draws with little gems in them and cast a few spells on the gem before setting it in the ring. She gave it a quick sanding and polish and it was done.

"I didn't realise you made jewellery too." The headmaster commented from near by.

"You startled me." Rose jumped a little.

"My apologies." He said. "I thought you had heard me."

"It's alright." She shook her head and set the ring down. "Yes I make Jewellery too, Rings, Pendants, bracelets, paintings, tables, desks, chairs, cabinets and frames. I can charm them too. Moods, danger, callings or signal a similar ring or pendant, Health, protection that sort of thing."

"Could you make some for me?" The Headmaster asked after a few moments of looking thoughtful.

"There's parchment there." She pointed to down the workbench. "Write out how many, male and female, ring or pendant or bracelet and what charms you want, if you want gems or plain." She said with a small shrug. "I don't mind, it gives me something to do. If you have a design in mind do a quick sketch and I'll make them up."

"Would you need any supplies?" He inquired as he looked up from the page.

"Depends on how big you want them and how many." She said cutting a silver length off the reel and began the same process over again. Twenty minutes later she had a silver ring to match the gold one. She then cut a length of gold and silver and looked towards to door and gave a faint smile. "Gold or silver Uncle? Ring, Bracelet or Necklace?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"And what are you making demon child?" He asked dryly.

"I thought you might want to keep track of your charges." She replied with a shrug. "Each ring is charmed to inform the master of mood, health, location and if they are in danger of the wearer, there is also strong protection charms on them. Silver is for Draco with the Emerald and the Gold is for Harry with the ruby." She explained as she with a few complicated turns of her wand and a few twirls of pliers she made a gold and silver entwined bracelet, that she carefully joined, sanded and polished before adding a small link to it. She then flattened out a piece of gold with a depression in it and dug through her gems and pulled out a dark blue sapphire and set it into the depression, sealed it in, connected it to the bracelet and cast a barrage of charms and protections on it and set it aside. "See?"

"That is incredible to watch." The Headmaster beamed.

"If I must, it will be a neck chain in silver." He sighed. "Though it would be a relief to know that I'll know you are all where you are supposed to be and not getting into trouble."

"Small link or large link?" She asked as she flicked a tape measure around him measuring his neck and then cut off the right length of silver coil. 

Severus spotted a piece of parchment and quickly sketched the idea he had had before handed it to her. "What do you think? I take it that the master has to have three of the same stones in it?"

"Yes." She nodded looking over the quick drawing. "Yes that is workable." She nodded and began incanting and making movements with her wand before putting her wand down and dug through the draw of gems and pulled out a Ruby, Emerald and a blue sapphire. She picked up her wand again and continued incanting and began pushing the smaller gems into the neck band that was almost like a torc. "Like?" She asked pausing in her spell casting.

"Like." Severus nodded.

She continued casting and the a final long string on something other then latin and tapped each piece of jewellery before laying her wand down and smiled. "Done." She handed the torc to him so he could look over it carefully. "Once these are on, only you will be able to remove them. They can also be programmed to be emergency portkeys that they or you can engage."

"Could be useful." He nodded slowly. "Can you do those?"

"No I don't know how, but I can rig it so once the spells are in place you can activate them as well." She shook her head.

"What password would you like?" The headmaster asked pulling his wand out.

Severus gave two passwords and the headmaster set them on the rings.

"What about you Rose? It's better to be safe." Severus said after a moment.

"Good point." She nodded slowly. "Use 'Graceford' For mine."

Rose nodded and began spell casting again tapping all four pieces again. "Password to trigger them?" She asked in a whisper.

"Separate ones?" He asked and she nodded. "Use the same."

She said the passwords and tapped the torc four times. "Done." She sagged a little.

"You alright?" The headmaster asked in concern. "You used a lot of magic in the span of an hour."

"I'm fine." She smiled. "I just need a good meal."

Severus waved his wand. "It is time for dinner, will you be joining us Albus?"

"No, I have a dinner meeting with Minerva." He shook his head. "Let me know what you need to make these dear." He handed the parchment to her.

"I'll get started later, I'll send Binky to you if I need anything."

"I do expect a bill at the end." Albus smiled before heading out.

"But…" Rose protested.

"It does no use to argue Rose." Severus shook his head warily. "You will never win. Not with Albus Dumbledore. And it's best to be honest or he will give you an outrageous about to pay you for it." He helped her to her feet. "So how do I tell this thing works?"

"I'll write out instructions for you after dinner." She nodded slowly and followed him out to the dinning room where Harry was already waiting, but Draco wasn't any where in sight.

"Twinky get Draco for Dinner." Severus said to elf that appeared and placed dinner on the table. It was roast beef, with toad in the hole, mashed potatoes, beans, peas, corn and gravy.

"Yes Master." Twinky nodded and disappeared.

They served up what they wanted along with their choice of Drinks and had started by the time a bleary Draco stumbled into the room and did the same. It was quiet all through dinner until the dirty plates disappeared.

"These are emergency Portkeys." Severus said handing the rings to the boys. "They also have protections on them that will keep you from injury from any minor spells. "Draco your activating word is Mento, Potter yours is Riddle. They will bring you back to these rooms." He waited until they were on before continuing. "I can also remotely activate them if something goes wrong, they can't be removed except by me, they were made by the headmaster…" he paused. "We'll be in trouble if there are anti-portkey wards though." 

"They are beautifully made." Draco said in appreciation looking at the ring on his right ring finger. "Must have cost a fortune."

"Actually Rose made them, the headmaster just set the portkeys." Severus smirked as Draco gaped at Rose.

"Is there anything in the arts department you can't do?" Draco whined.

"I can't sing, I can barely play the piano." She shrugged.

"You can sing, I've heard you while you are painting." Harry protested.

"Not very well, I can hold a tune but I couldn't get into the choir." She shook her head.

"So what did you make for you?" Harry asked gesturing to the ring.

"A bracelet." She held up her wrist so they could see it.

"Gorgeous." Draco breathed. "I saw a bracelet like that last summer and it cost well over four hundred gallons."

"Silver, gold and gems do cost quite a bit." She nodded. "But it is a lot cheaper to by the pieces and make them myself."

"Any one want pudding?" Severus inquired.

"No, I'm rather full." Rose shook her head.

"Maybe later." Harry shook his head and Draco shrugged but shook his head.

"How much of our work did you get done today boys?" He asked sipping at his scotch.

"I managed to finish off my Arithmancy Homework, so I only have Potions and Ancient Runes left, and I finished those six potions you assigned me this morning." Draco reported.

"Then you may go flying tomorrow, no more then two hours please." Severus nodded, looking pleased. "Potter?"

"I got my DADA and CoCM finished, plus I got my Herbology done and redid my History." He had a pleased little smile on his face. "And I got through another six spells I need for the wards." He paused thinking. "So I only have Ancient Runes, Potions and Arithmancy. And another eighteen spells, three wards and a bit of family history left."

"You may fly tomorrow if you wish as well." Severus nodded in approval. "And what did you get done today Rose?" He asked in amusement. 

"Three paintings and two metal impressions, plus four pieces of jewellery." She chuckled.

"Metal Impressions?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Sure, feel free to look on my workroom wall tonight. You'll see what I mean. The Headmaster really likes the one I did of Fawkes." She grinned. "They are good cause they only take three to five hours to do."

"You can do a painting in four." Harry pointed out with a chuckle.

"A small to medium yes." She nodded. "Large ones like the Study room and the Conclave take up to Twenty hours to do non stop." She paused looking them over. "Each."

"No wonder some mornings you are dazed or grumpy." Draco shook his head.

"I enjoy it." She shrugged, she looked at Harry. "Would you like the Dancing in Rain painting?" She asked. "Free of charge, the old girl wanted you to have it."

"Old girl?" Draco blinked.

"Hogwarts, she is where most of my recent paintings have come from." She nodded. "I already gave the Headmaster and Remus one each on her insistence."

"You can hear her?" Harry blinked.

"If you know how to listen, yes." She nodded with a smile and looked at her Uncle. "I'll go do that list up for you." She said before limping back to her work bench and began writing out the list.

When she was done she looked over the headmasters list and sketch and then began looking over her supplies to make sure she had enough material to make the amount needed. She finally decided that she would just make them and then when she began to run low request some more of the needed material. She guessed that some where going to be spares as gifts or something.

In the end her list was;

20 gold necklaces.

10 silver necklaces.

15 gold bracelets.

15 silver bracelets.

20 gold rings.

20 silver rings.

The necklaces and bracelets were all to have a small phoenix on it if possible, colour didn't matter. The rings were to have the flame carved on either gem or on the outside of the ring.

Not quite sure what the headmaster wanted exactly she made one of each, with out the spells on them. Each had the requested pendent or carving on it. When she was done she glanced at the clock she had installed. Ten pm.

"Still enough time to get his approval." She murmured and summoned Binky, and wrote out a quick note asking if these were what he had in mind, they were yet to be spelled but she wanted to know if she had gotten the designs right.

"Mistress?"

"This letter and jewellery go to the headmaster and wait for a reply." She said handing it all over. "And this list goes to Uncle."

"Yes Mistress." Binky nodded and popped out. It wasn't long before Binky returned with everything and handed it all back. "Headmasters note under yours." Binky said before popping out again.

Rose nodded and read his reply and smiled. He liked her designs on the flame and said to make all the little phoenixes to flames instead, if it wasn't going to be too much trouble.

Rose nodded slightly to her self and began clipping wire to the right lengths and began on the rings.

"Mistress need anything from Binky?" Binky asked popping into the room an hour later. "Binky going to help school elves clean for awhile if Mistress not needing me."

"Not right now Binky." Rose shook her head. "But tomorrow, I want you to go through the Jarrah wood and pull out pieces for a small mantle location clock and a grandfather clock."

"Yes Mistress." Binky nodded and popped out of the room.

"Rose?" She looked towards her door and saw her uncle walking through her first workroom. "You should head to bed soon, you've used a lot of magic today."

"I suppose you are right." She side and set her tools aside and limped out waving the lights off as she went. "Will you be doing my leg every night Uncle?" She asked softly as he opened her bedroom door for her and followed her in.

"Yes, I would like to see if it makes any difference in your weekly scans, plus I know it makes it easier for you to walk around in the morning." He nodded firmly and paused at her fire and stared into it to give her privacy to change and joined her at the bed when she called him over. "In the Mornings I have seen you walk a lot easier then when you don't have the salve…" He paused slathering the salve on her injured leg and began rubbing it in, trying not to wince in sympathy when she whimpered or hissed. "You walked around too much today." He chided her. "You are only this bad when you do."

"I guess I did." She gritted her teeth in pain and reached out into her bed side draw and downed a potion.

"How many have you had today?" He asked softly.

"Three, that was the fourth I think." She said tiredly and moaned when he hit a tender spot.

"Well I know what your gem feels like when you are in pain now." He sighed sounding tired himself. "It goes cold, the colder it is the more pain you are in." He shook his head. "I now know why you put each gem far enough apart, or I would never know who was in need."

"I think emotions are going to be the hardest to pick out with the torc." She said quietly, relaxing slowly as she felt her leg muscles soften. "Pain is usually cold, anger is hot, upset feels wet and pleasure feels like a gentle breeze on your skin near the gem." She shifted a little in her pillow getting comfortable. "Danger pulses against the skin, the faster it is the more danger they are in, like a heart beat. If it is fast and zaps you, then activate the portkey, that is extreme danger…mortal peril kind of thing."

"Good to know, mostly you listed the spells they were protected from, you didn't go into the mood…what about health?" He asked gently, moving down to her knee.

"Well you know the emotional side of it, feeling nausea and headaches it buzzes against the skin, fever the gem will flash and will increase at how high it is…" She began explaining.

"I'm guess they wouldn't activate for a light headache or feeling slightly queasy right?"

"Correct. Headaches and nausea that is throwing up or your head is pounding not just aching." She nodded sleepily. "Fever is for over 101 Fahrenheit, like wizards flu or something like that or worse."

"Bleeding too much?" He questioned. "Or broken bones?"

"Torc will jump and continue to jump until you find them…as to who the torc will jump in the direction of the gem in concern." Rose murmured falling asleep.

"Thank you for easing the worry Rose." He said softly.

"Welcome." She mumbled sliding into true sleep, hearing only a faint chuckle in reply.

00000


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Rose woke early feeling very relaxed. She stretched slowly and carefully, before sliding out of bed, grabbing her cane and shuffled to her wardrobe to pick out a short sleeve top and a pair of overalls and slip on shoes.

She showered, washing her hair before stepping out. She ran a brush through her growing hair and twisted it up in to a bun, before doctoring her scars and pulled on her under ware and socks and slid the overalls on and slipped the shoes on. She pulled the shirt on and made her way to the dinning room, not connecting the straps of the overalls to the front so her Uncle could doctor her back before finishing getting dressed.

She set the required jar on the table and ate an easy breakfast of toast and tea and then spotted the clock. It was only six am, no one would be up for a few hours yet. With a small shrugged she pulled the overalls on properly and made her way to workroom, back to the jewellery.

When her fingers began cramping at the delicate work she set them aside and went to the middle table where Binky had set up two stacks of Jarrah wood already cut into the correct sizes. There were also mechanical pieces all set up ready to put the clocks together.

By ten she had the small mantle clock done though still looking rough. It still needed to be sanded, carved, polished and varnished. She turned back to the jewellery and counted out how many rings she had already made. She had thirty out of forty.

By the time midday came around she had finished the rings and had five bracelets done, she laid aside her tools and made her way out for lunch and again found herself on her own. Eating a sandwich that appeared in front of her and a glass of pumpkin juice and returned to her work.

By the time dinner came around she had the silver bracelets done and the small mantle clock completed, including the five hands ready to be activated. She thought that Uncle could use it in his private lab to help keep track of everyone when he locked himself away from everyone.

Dinner was filled with quiet chatter of what everyone had been doing all day.

The boys had been flying, even had a seeker to seeker game and had stayed friendly, they only had their potions homework to finish and had actually spent most of the day working together with out arguing or insulting each other.

Uncle had been working on more potions for the hospital wing and going his class lessons for the year, getting the work done early since he was already at the school.

"And you Rose?" Severus looked up from his pudding.

"I was working on the stuff for the Headmaster and I made a gift for you." She shrugged slightly.

"A gift?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I think you will find it quite useful." She smiled slightly as Binky popped in beside Severus with the clock wrapped carefully in a rag. She watched as he unwrapped it and looked it over with a slight quirk of his lips. "It only needs a hair from the people on it and it will activate."

"What is it?" Harry asked looking up.

"It's a locator clock." Draco shook his head with a slight groan.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Harry frowned.

"It means I won't be able to sneak out any more." Draco sighed and pulled a hair from his head and held it out for Severus who just smirked and took the hair and wrapped it around one of the clock hands. Harry shrugged and did the same.

"Mine is already done." She shrugged when they both looked at her. "May I be excused, Uncle?"

"You may." He nodded, as he attached his own hair strand to a handle.

As Rose began her work again a small idea worked its self around her mind, wondering how she could get it to work or if it was even possible. She reached for the nearest piece of parchment and scribbled out the idea with a few spells that could be used and picked up where she left off. Every now and then she would pause in her work to add more detail to the parchment.

"Time to turn in Rose." Her uncle's voice called.

"Coming." She called back and she finished off the last gold bracelet and made her slow pace back to her bed room, changed while her Uncle stared into the fire and braced herself for a bit of pain and then the relief of a relaxed leg.

"How many today?" He asked as he finished off her leg half an hour later.

"Hmm?" She murmured nearly asleep.

"How many pain potions?" He asked again. "Your gem went a little cold a few times during the day."

"I didn't have any." She shook her head sleepily. "Only had a few twinges when I got up too fast." She flicked her eyes open to look at him for a moment. "I have a theory that I am working on…would you be able to look at it tomorrow?" She asked drowsily.

"I can look it over for you." He agreed and pulled the covers over her body. "Goodnight Rose."

"Goodni' Unca Sev." She murmured back.

00000

Rose hummed to herself absently as she twisted gold wire into the required necklace, with ease charmed the gem and attached it to the finished necklace before starting another.

Once again she had woken early and eaten alone. In the last three hours she had managed to finish off the wanted Jewellery the Headmaster wanted. Each piece charmed as requested. Signalling or proten charm which sent and received, protection charms, linked to ever other piece of jewellery on the table. She conjured up Jewellery boxes and place one piece in each box to make it look like they had just been purchased from a jewellery shop. As a joke she had even added a shop name inside the boxes. Jewelled Rose.

She then cleaned and polished each piece wearing protective soft gloves and placed each piece in it's box. She then placed them in a wooden crate with Jewelled Rose stencilled on the side and the order written out all official looking, including the bill. She knew how much they cost at Diagon but she had worked it out by assembly and it had come out at nine gallons a piece and just added one gallon for labour so each piece cost an even ten gallons. Total Price one thousand gallons.

She called Binky to deliver the crate to the Headmaster's Office if he was alone or with her Uncle other wise to wait until that time.

"You said something about a theory, Rose?" Severus asked as he tapped on her door and walked in.

"Yes." She picked up the parchment she had been working on and handed it over. "I'm not sure if it is possible or be used some other way but I thought it would be ideal for Aurors in the field or people needing constant meds." She explained and halted when he raised a hand as he read through what she had written.

"It's intriguing." He nodded slowly. "Do you mind if I showed it to few people more qualified then I?"

"Not at all." She shook her head.

"How is your leg today?" He inquired looking at her carefully.

"It still twinges when I move suddenly, but it is a lot looser then it was last week." She replied with a pleased smile. "The last two days it has been easier to get up and moving first thing in the morning."

"Pain potions?" He asked.

"I had one about an hour ago." She pulled a face. "I knocked my knee on the table leg."

Severus nodded slowly. "It has been easier to get around with the treatments?"

"Yes, much better, I am not stiff in the morning and the muscles are looser so it was easier to get around. I still need the cane but I don't have to lean on it so heavily as I did last week." She nodded.

"Good, Poppy informed me that she would be down tomorrow morning to run another scan as it will have been four days since we started the treatment. We need to know if it is healing or masking." He nodded looking a little pleased himself. "I'll let you know if anything comes of this." He held up the parchment. "Are you coming out for lunch?" He asked glancing up at the clock. "You still have two hours."

"Maybe." She shrugged. "Depends if I get caught up in something."

"Alright." He nodded and left.

"What to do now?" She murmured to herself. She shrugged and continued making jewellery. Maybe she could sell it in Diagon Alley for a few gallons. She came up with a nice idea when she made a few rings to engrave them with the Hogwarts Mascots, maybe into the gems or into the rings themselves.

She made ten of each, before making a few necklaces with little gems carved in to the Mascots. The level of detail she managed to get on the little animals before they snapped was a little amazing even to herself. She charmed them to be unbreakable, a few to keep the owner calm when they got nervous or frightened, and after careful thought added one charm that was hard to do, to protect the mind of the owner from the imperious, as she had for the jewellery the headmaster had ordered…not that she would advertise that one, just say it had a few protection charms on it, like warning when there was danger near by, protection against a few minor hexes like jelly legs or a weak stupefy. They were also charmed to protect against evil, it was an old charm but knew it worked. It would repell anything evil quiet strongly and would like the anti imperio would protect the mind of the owner, if it found the wearer worthy. ie not already evil.

She wrote out a note to the headmaster asking what he thought of her idea. It didn't take long before he said it could work and he liked her packaging of the jewellery.

She shook her head with a chuckle and wrote out a introductory letter to a jewellery store she knew was good and not all that expensive, and sent a few samples along. She also charmed them so they couldn't be duplicated by magic by any one but her. She boxed them up and asked Binky to take them to the shop Manager to see if he wanted to try her idea.

She picked up a Griffin and a snake necklace and set them out in the conjured boxes and decided to give them to the boys at Dinner. It would give them another form of protection and it could also start a new fad once school started.

Binky returned after lunch with a letter from the Jewellery store Manager and Owner who had agreed to see if the necklaces would sell and was will it give the share of cost to Binky when she arrived once a week. If it really took off Rose would see about opening a proper account for it. He also asked if she had any other pieces she wanted to try and sell and would take a stock of twenty each. If they hadn't sold by mid October they would be returned. If they did he would send requests for more. He also added he would add it to his owl Catalogue and send a few pieces to his shop in Hogsmeade as well. They agreed on the cost of Twenty gallons for necklaces and bracelets and ten for the rings.

Nodding in satisfaction she absently began making more of the little Mascots while turning her mind to her choices for the year. Personally she was starting to lean towards focussing on her painting, carving and jewellery, while maybe taking a few tutorials for the few classes she wanted to take. Mainly Potions, Ancient Rune, Charms, Transfiguration and Arithmancy.

She looked at her work…then again she may have even surpassed the Charms and Transfigurations classes that was taught here…maybe she could ask for a few tests to see where she stood. She nibbled on her lip thinking as she began imbedding gems into the rings she had made. She could at least ask, the worst they could say was no after all. She noted her thoughts down on parchment and then slipped it into a pocket to give to her Uncle when she saw him next.

She finished up leaving them laid out to be polished before placed in boxes and made her way to the dinning room for a snack. She was a little surprised to find every one still at the table eating lunch, the boys were flicking through owl orders discussing what they wanted to keep boredom at bay.

She passed the parchment over to her Uncle while she picked a Chicken and Avocado roll for lunch.

"Hey Potter look at this." Draco shoved the catalogue book towards the other boy pointing at the jewellery section. "They just came in this morning!" He exclaimed.

"You mean these?" Rose asked as she slid two boxes towards the boys.

"You made them?" Harry chuckled.

"It gave me something to do." Rose shrugged, biting into her roll. "Plus it brings in a little money to help replace what I use…I'm not too sure it will take off though…" She bit her lip.

"Oh I think it will." Draco nodded. "The good thing is that they are in a students price range, plus most students are proud of their house and will do nearly anything to show that."

"I agree, I hope you have spares already made up." Harry nodded with a shake of his head.

"A few…" She nodded slowly, looking thoughtful as she took another bite of her roll. "Which do you think will be more popular, rings, necklaces or bracelets?"

"Well I think the Necklaces and Bracelets will be favoured by the girls and the rings by the guys." Harry replied finishing up his lunch. "The rings are a bit chunky for girls…from the rings I've seen women ware they are thin and delicate looking."

"Hmm." Rose nodded thoughtfully.

"You have a reasonable idea here Rose." Severus spoke up as the boys turned back to the catalogue. "I don't know how different the American schooling is to British schools…I'll talk it over with Albus and see what he says, if anything I think he will agree that you could pass your Charms and Transfigurations Newts tomorrow if they were given." He looked at her. "As to the Potions from the detail notes, tests and test results I was given you could take the Newt now and pass. I must agree that you are barely average in all your other classes and there wouldn't be much point in continuing. So if you wish to maybe have the odd tutoring session and focus of your Arts instead I will not protest."

"Thank you." She nodded slowly. "Uncle I was wondering…do you think it would be worth opening a business vault for my Arts that I choose to sell?" She inquired frowning a little. "Sure it's not a lot of money coming in but…"

"It maybe an idea, if only to keep your identity a secret." He nodded slowly. "I will talk to Albus about opening one up for you…Any particular name it should be under?"

"I used Jewelled Rose as a production stamp." She shrugged a little sheepishly.

"Actually it's a good name, I doubt any one would like it was apart of some ones actual name." Draco spoke up joining the conversation. "Any money she has coming in she can use to replace what she uses…though I am guessing you are running low on few things by now."

"A few." She nodded slowly. "Mostly the wire used to make the jewellery and the gems."

"That's not cheap." Draco winced.

"I have a few contacts." Rose smirked at him. "Though it would probably take a week to get the amount I need here from my supplier…unless I use Binky." She said thoughtfully. "It would only take a couple of hours that way…" She nodded to herself. "Yes that would work a lot better…" and then sighed. "Uncle I need money from my account to purchase anything from any one…my pouch is empty."

"You still had twenty gallons at last count last week." He frowned.

"I sent Binky out for a few large canvas's that I needed for the Conclaves." She shrugged. "Mr Potter insisted on paying for my time and talent…I don't know if he has already arranged it or not, but it's close to five hundred gallons, for just the three I did for him."

"He was going to send it to your father's account before remembering it was in America and not here so it wouldn't be much use to you, so if you do open a business one he can deposit the money there." Harry shrugged.

"I have moved a large amount of your money to the Gringotts here in London, I won't take much for me to arrange a new account for your business and a linked money pouch so you buy things as you need them and not have to worry about running out of cash on hand." Severus informed her with a sigh. "I have a feeling I'll have to co sign or something for the account as you are legally not of age for your accounts, while you are for magic."

"You are probably right." Rose nodded with a sigh of her own.

"I'll get it done later. For the moment just use Binky for money transfers. I'll let you know when I have it sorted." He nodded. "How soon will you need more wire and Jewels?"

"A few hours if I keep on going…I could change to something else for a few days." She replied, finishing her tea. "I could also see if Gems would be will to see if they could sell some of my art work…if I do some that are not personal to any one around here." She mused before wondering off absently. All three noticed that she wasn't limping as badly as she had been a few days before as she left the room.

She made her way to her back room and began looking through pieces of blocks of wood until she had a few picked out and sitting on the middle table. Settled in her chair she studied them for a few moments before choosing a light coloured wood and began spelling the wood, until she had a rough shape, then pulled a thick roll of material out from under the table and unrolled it revealing mini tools.

She then carefully chiselled and filed it down to a near perfect image. She then began sanding it down carefully until the wood was smooth. She did the same until she had four different magical animals sitting in different positions sitting in front of her. She then summoned her paint table to her and began painting them.

She left them to dry out of the way and then began a Dragon metal carving. But instead of leaving the metal flat she used a blunt tool to push in the appearance of scales and rippling muscles before turning it over and carefully pouring powder over the metal and mixing a few colours and melted it down to enamel. The wood she carved to show a mountain capped in snow. She glued the dragon together and mounted it on the wood, adding a few colours and touch up with paint.

She spelled the wooden figures with non paint chip and anti breaking charms on them, along with a varnish and polishing finish.

Done she glanced up at the clock and grabbed her cane. She limped as fast as she could for the dinning room so she wouldn't be late for dinner.

00000

A few days later Rose had new supplies of gold, silver and platinum wire of different thicknesses and a large selection of gems that had been bought by the Headmaster to replace the supplies she had used for his order. Her business account had been set up at Gringotts under the name of Jewelled Rose.

She had over sixty rings, necklaces and bracelets made up and packaged ready for delivery to Gems Jewellery store at Diagon Alley. They had also agreed tentatively to display her wooden figurines and a few of her metal wood paintings to see how much of a interest they got in them.

She had a bit of a surprise when her Uncle had told her that he had already put a large amount of money in her account that she could spend on supplies that she might need until some income started coming in. So with that tidbit she had bought a few small blocks of stone of different kinds, straight stone, graphite, a few blocks of glass to make more figurines.

Her appointment with Poppy had been cancelled with the medi witch had to leave for a few days on a family emergency but promised to come and check her over as soon as she returned.

She had made the large grandfather clock a few days ago and was only now completing it, adding carvings of the Hogwarts Mascots. She had originally thought to have it placed in the sitting room at the front of their quarters so everyone could use it. But now she wasn't so sure that it was for them. She shrugged a little and continued on carving. It still would be at least a day before it would be finished to her liking.

She was also working on another Dancing Competition painting on a rather large canvas, she was thinking about sending it to Bill. Maybe it would inspire him to win this years Competition and brighten up his spirits when he heard that she wouldn't be competiting this year. They had all been looking forward to it… She shook her head to refocus on the clock but eventually moved back to her paintings to finish off the last few touches on the painting, before casting the usual spells on it.

Tilting her head a little she looking over the painting carefully before turning slightly and conjuring a box that was padded to place the painting in when it was dried and the frame had been done. She also spelled it so the painting would stay dry and undamaged during delivery. Returning to her wood room she made up the frame covered in foot steps, levitated the painting in and with a delicate touch attached it to the painting. She levitated it back and gently placed it in the box before sitting at the desk and writing a letter to go with the painting.

_Dear William and Ginny,_

_I know that it has been some time since I have written and I apologise for that. I hope that you will accept this gift as a reminder of the good times we had and of the friendships we began during our time of passionate dance._

_I will not be competing this year due to an injury I received last month, to be honest I doubt that I will ever be able to compete again. I hope that the gift will inspire you to win the Grand Final for me, it should be much easier to do so this year with out Myself and Richard there to keep you on your toes. I doubt I will be able to get permission to even attend the event either, parental or medical._

_While I don't like the circumstances that lead to this I am now living in Scotland with my Uncle, who I am sure you will know once I mention his name which I will not be doing in this letter. So please feel free to write to me now that I am a little closer for easy communication._

_Ginny remember to keep an eye on you left high kick, you dipped too much last time I saw you :-P_

_Kick their asses. _

_Your friendly Rival no longer but hopefully good friend,_

_Rose Prince._

She sealed the letter and scrawled both their names on the front and addressed it to the Burrow. She smiled a little as she caught the name on the lid of the box. Jewelled Rose with a outline of a carved Jewelled Rose on it.

"What you up to?" Harry asked sticking his head in her door.

"Just finished up a letter to a friend." She smiled. "Would you mind taking it up to the Owlery for me and getting it sent off?" She asked. "I already lightened it so two owls will have no problem delivering it."

"Sure." He nodded and came into the room and picked up the sealed box. "You know Bill?"

"Sure." She pointed to the dancers and smiled.

"I forgot." He flushed. "I'll get this sent out right away." He grinned and her and hurried of to do the accepted task.

"Thanks Harry." She called out after him, she shook her head at his energy.

"Rose, Poppy is here" Draco yelled down the corridor.

"Draco don't yell." Severus's voice scolded him from some where near by.

Rose grabbed her cane and made her way to her room where Severus and Poppy met her. She let them in and made her way to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"Now how many days has it been with the treatment?" Poppy asked as she drew her wand and transfigured her pants in to shorts so she could look over the leg properly.

"Nine." Severus replied standing near by.

"Hmm." Poppy nodded and began her scans, gently running her fingers over the scar that was now only a finger thick and no longer red at all. The burns had healed leaving no sign on the skin. "Has movement been easier?"

"Much." Rose nodded. "I still have to move about slowly and use the cane, but it is no where as painful, I'm down to one or two pain potions a day, there are also days where I don't need any."

"Well, it has improved the healing of the muscles that were damaged by twenty percent." Poppy said slowly as she looked over the results. "The muscles aren't as strained as they were last week…but…" She looked at them both. "I doubt it will heal anymore then it already has, and it may get a little worse if treatment stops at this point." She sighed. "At this point the salve is dulling the pain of the small healing that is happening and it keeps the muscles relaxed which is helping. Keeping off it and not overworking it is also helping or I doubt it would be this good."

"In other words the best we can do is to keep going as we have but don't expect anymore improvements." Rose said slowly.

"Pretty much." Poppy nodded and tucked her wand away. "But you both have done excellently to get it this healed in such a short time, especially when everyone said it couldn't be done." She studied Rose for a moment. "Just keep the current pace you have now and you shouldn't have any problems."

"Thank you Poppy." Rose nodded as her shorts were returned to their original shape.

"I am a little relieved that the salve wasn't just masking things…I'll make up a large stock pile to keep in here so you can do it yourself if no one else is available to do so." Severus nodded looking relieved. "How are your pain potions stock?"

"I still have nine left from the last batch." Rose said after checking in her draw.

"I'll do up some more." He nodded.

"I'll leave you to sort everything out between you." Poppy smiled slightly. "There is nothing else I can do for Rose now." She paused and gave her healing eye a quick look. "Everything is doing nicely but my services are no longer needed."

"Thanks Poppy." Severus nodded and saw her out.

Rose made her way back to her workrooms looking at what she had stockpiled ready to be moved to Gems.

60 pieces of Jewellery.

15 wooden figurines painted and animated to move a little.

9 Metal Carvings.

She looked them over for a few moments before sitting down and running her hands over a glass piece, concentrating. It was one of the few places she could use wandless magic. Her little figurines of stone, glass and wood she could do with out her wand if she wanted, along with the mini gem figurines as well she had discovered last night.

Slowly pieces of glass began vanishing as an image of a phoenix with it's wings outstretched began appearing and the glass took on a red and golden hue but still see through. Details of individual feathers could be seen, with the beginnings of flames around the birds feet were making an appearance as she finished it and set it aside, casting dust free and unbreakable charms on it.

She made six all together, one phoenix, two Unicorns, two dragons entwined in battle and a Griffin rearing up, wings spread.

Her gaze settled on the battling dragons and raised an eyebrow at them as they tumbled around the table once she had finished charming them and shook her head in amusement.

"Rose?" Severus called out.

"In the back." She called back, chucking as the Griffin hissed at the wrestling dragons and took a swipe at them.

"Here are the notes on that theory you were working on last week." He said handing a slightly thicker packet of parchment back to her while eyeing the new creations. "If you follow the suggestions you may have a working prototype in a few days…I would like to see the results when you are done too."

"Sure thing." She nodded and began looking through the pages with interest.

"Also, Potter has been invited to a friends place for a few days, since he has finished his tutoring from his father the headmaster gave him permission and Draco is in France have a two day visit in secret with his mother…" He paused. "I am needed else where for a few days…will you be alright here on your own?"

"I should be." She nodded. "I have Binky and Twinky keeping an eye on me, Including Hogwarts, no doubt the headmaster and Remus, I think if I run into any problems I'll have more hands to help then I know what to do with." She smiled slightly. "I know my limitations, I doubt I will stray too far."

"Alright. Twinky and Binky have been given instructions to remind you when it gets late and you are still working." He nodded. "I have to leave now and the boys are already gone so, enjoy the quiet." He smirked before leaving.

"Hmm, not one for quiet." She murmured as she continued to read. "Binky, find my music globes please." She called out, even as she limped to her shelving filled with sheets of metal and began looking over the different metals. "Hmm what type to use…Silver and Iron are out so is gold…steel maybe?" She pulled out a hand width and two foot long piece of steel off the shelf with a flick of her wand and sat back down cutting off a small length she made couple of wand flicks and she had a resizable solid steel metal cuff. A few more flicks and it was polished and sanded so it wasn't sharp at the edges. "Let have a look at those spells…" she picked up her pages again and began looking through them, casting spells at the cuff as she found them that were suggested.

A few moments later the sounds of Beethoven's symphony number nine at a rather loud volume began to pulse through the workroom.

Rose slowly bobbed to the music finding her self relaxing even further then usual. Spells flew from her wand fast, some of them caused the cuff to change shapes and colour.

She noted down the spells that worked and what the botched ones ended up doing, for all she knew they could come in handy at another time.

Six hours and five cuffs later she had a semi working prototype. The cuff resized to the wrist it was placed on, the little gems on the tops showed which potion it was filled with…the only part that didn't work was the delivery system.

She set aside the part working cuff and began again adjusting spells as she went. When she got too frustrated with it she turned to making book size figurines instead of the smaller ones she had been making for the last few days. So far she had four stone dragons, beautifully carved and five unicorns.

She stretched carefully before leaving her work room for her bedroom, her music still pulsing through the rooms and ate a quick lunch at her desk and looked over the stack of parchment her Uncle had given her a few days ago telling her to do them as she liked and to send the completed ones to the headmaster with Binky when she was done.

She nibbled on turkey sandwiches for dinner even as she continued working on the parchments. From what she could tell they were seventh year midterms tests. She even sent samples of the practicals for the Transfigurations and Charms up with the finished tests. The only one she hadn't done as Severus had left her note asking her to wait so he could watch her make the practical.

She turned off the globe and went to bed early after giving her leg the massage as instructed.

00000


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

This is for all my reviews of all my stories who have been waiting patiently for the next chapter of Traveller's Rest. I thought you would need something to read since my muse went on vacation. Thanks for the Reviews.

Draconia

Chapter Seven

"Gee Rose did you sleep while we were gone?" Draco's voice interrupted her in between globe songs and paintings.

"You scared me!" She jumped and turned towards the door where Draco was grinning leaning against her doorway and jumped himself as The Waltz blared out of the globe. She waved her wand at it and it went silent.

"How many did you get done in four days?" He asked looking at her slowly shrinking wall space.

"Fifteen paintings, a couple of dozen figurines, some more Jewellery, some class work…" She shrugged. "I was bored, I didn't once have to listen to an argument." She grinned at him. "So I made my own noise."

"I heard." He shook his head. "Potter and Professor Snape back yet?" He asked looking over her new paintings.

"Uncle Severus came back yesterday, he's in a meeting with the Headmaster until dinner, Harry won't be back until after his birthday." She replied. "He said if you wanted something to do he left a list of potions in the lab for you to do, as well as a few extra credit essays on your desk."

"I just might do that." Draco nodded slowly. "What happened to your Masters paintings?" He asked looking at the blank space on the wall.

"I tried to recall them when they didn't return on their own but it didn't work." She sighed. "I sent a letter to the real them and found out that their copy of the paintings were destroyed with their shop. The portraits got stuck in between, and it had been too long since the destruction of the paintings that they in a sense died." She shook her head. "When they didn't return right away after I called, their paintings turned black, indicating they had been destroyed."

"Can you replace them?" He asked in concern.

"I could, if they gave permission to make another set." She shrugged slightly and gave the blank spot a sad look. "It's the first time I've ever seen a piece of work die that I created…I don't think I will be doing another set any time soon."

"Fair enough…how is your Art work going at Gems?" He asked pausing at the door as he went to leave.

"The Jewellery is selling slowly, the figurines are a little more popular but we expect that to change once the students hit Diagon after the Tenth." She shrugged.

"Talk to you later." Draco nodded and left the room.

"Mistress has mail." Binky announced as she popped into the room and handed over the single letter.

"Thank you Binky." She murmured and broke the seal on the letter and pulled the letter out and smiled as she recognised the rough but neat writing of Bill.

'_Dear Rose,_

_Thank you for the gift, if I thought I could get away with it with out sounding rude and it wasn't a painting of Ginny and I, I would have found a way to return the painting. It must have cost you a lot of money and am thoroughly flattered and amazed at how well the painting was done._

_You have both of our thanks and gratitude for the gift._

_Ginny and I were devastated to hear that you will not be competing this year and not even able to attend to watch. We have been looking forward to seeing you and Richard again and seeing at how close we came to a draw once again. How badly is the injury? Perhaps next year you will be able to dance again._

_I find myself a little excited to know that you are now in England, perhaps you would be able to come by our little studio and let us know what you think of our new routine._

_I also found myself startled when my fiancé gushed over having a Jewelled Rose painting, and as a gift from a rival at that. When I asked her what exactly she was talking about she showed me the sub catalogue from Gems that shows all of Jewelled Rose's work, I must admit that I am dazed at the raw talent the artist shows. Let alone the price of some of the pieces. The entire family is thinking about buying a few of the cheaper pieces, mainly the Hogwarts Mascot collection._

_Perhaps now that you are here we could meet up some where if you can't visit the Burrow. Even if Ginny couldn't make it, I know that I would love a chance to catch up and introduce you to My Fiancé._

_Your friend_

_Bill Weasley. _

_Ps. You know I hate being called William. Consider yourself growled at._

Rose chuckled and gave a sad little sigh and made her way to her bedroom to write out a reply, knowing that it would be best to get the bad news out of the way, as fast as possible.

_Dear Bill,_

_Yes I do know you hate your real name, hence I used it. It always gets a reaction out of you._

_As to me dancing again…_

_I will be honest Bill. I will never dance again from my injuries. _

_No doubt you heard about the attack at Murdock Alley in LA a few weeks ago…well I was there, in the middle of the explosion. I am the only survivor of my family, they all died in the attack. I was in a coma for two weeks, and very badly injured. I couldn't even tell you honestly if Richard is alright, I have no contact with LA at the moment and I know he was there that day… _

_I was shipped the Saint Mungo's a few hours after waking, told the extent of my injuries, that there wasn't much else they could do for me and that I was being sent to live with my only living relative, my father's brother who I had never met._

_Now before you panic, I have a few scars that couldn't be healed away, but the main injury if my right leg. I have a nice long scar hip to ankle, it used to be three fingers wide but with treatments, it is now down to only one and no longer red and angry. I can get around but not far and not very fast. I have to rely on a nice cane to get around and can't walk for more then fifty metres with out getting very tired and overstraining my leg, let alone stairs. According to my Uncle and the Medi witch stairs are a very big no no. I am to go no where near them._

_I haven't been out side in nearly three weeks, I am just glad that my rooms are very large or I would be claustrophobic by now. _

_Please accept the gift as it was meant from the heart. It is painted directly from my memory and will play out the dances we did that day, before restarting to the beginning. It is a new form of Painting to the traditional. It isn't like a real soul painting but more a replay of a memory only in paint. If you tap the frame and call out any of the dances we did during that competition they will be shown._

_This painting is the second of what the artist hopes of many, as was done as a favour to cheer me up._

_If you truly wish to see me, let me know and I will discuss it with my Uncle to try and arrange a visit._

_Your Friend_

_Rose._

She sighed and sealed it up in an envelope and asked Binky to take it to an owl to send off. She wasn't quite sure she was ready to see people who knew what she looked like before the attack, to actually see and understand what she had lost of herself.

She went back to her paintings and closed her door, cast a one way silencing charm around the room and turned her music globe back on. She sat in her seat, eyes closed listening as the vibrations spread through the room, before picking up her brushes and began painting.

00000

Rose look up from the four medium new paintings she had finished, when there was a loud knock on her door and flicked her wand at the globe to lower the volume, before flicking it at the door and watched as it opened on it's own revealing her Uncle standing there, with a raised eyebrow.

"Dinner started twenty minutes ago, Rose." He said dryly.

"I know." She nodded slowly. "Binky told me."

"And the reason you are not at the table?" He inquired as he stepped into the room and came to stand beside her, looking at her.

"I'm not hungry," She murmured, eyes turning back to her paintings. They were memory paintings, of training sessions of dancing, laughing and mucking around with Bill and Ginny, after a competition. Another of her and Richard at Salem, practicing out in a court yard, while a crowd of students gathered, cheering. Another of her carrying Lucas in her arms as she danced around a room as her mother played the piano and her father playing the Violin.

There was the beginnings of another on the easel of a group of friends talking and laughing but it wasn't finished yet.

A tear slipped down her cheek and she felt her Uncle's strong arm wrap around her shoulders and pull her to his side, hugging her gently.

"I don't even know if all my friends survived." She whispered. "I think it hasn't completely hit me, just how much I have lost because of that day…" Another tear. "I lost my family, my grace, my dancing, my friends, my home, my schooling, my freedom of movement." She sniffed and wiped away her tears, only to have more fall. "I gained an Uncle I never knew, I gained new friends, unlimited time to work on my arts, a business that is slowly picking up, money, a nice home…" She choked back a sob. "I would give it all up just to have it all back…even Lucas as annoying as he could be, interrupting me all the time to come and play. But I know that nothing will bring it back, nothing can undo what happened…"

"No, nothing can undo what happened." He said softly, as he shifted slightly and hugged her properly. "The best any one can do is make the best out of a situation, which you have done amazingly well. Set backs are a part of life, as much as we wish they weren't. Nothing is perfect, everything is flawed, you just learn to make the best of what we have for as long as we have it…" His voice trained off.

"And be thankful that we had it and a chance to experience it, even if it hurts us in the end." Rose finished with a choked laugh. "Father used to say that a lot when something went wrong.

"Yes, it was something mother taught us." He nodded slowly.

"Fate gives you lemons? Oh well lets make lemonade." She said softly. "That was Mama's view on things."

"What brought on this gloomy mood?" He asked as he released her and handed her a hanky to blow her nose.

"I sent Bill a painting of last years competition in hope it would inspire them and let them know what I wouldn't be dancing any more. He sent a reply and I replied to that letting him know why." She took a slow calming breath. "It occurred to me that I haven't been outside in nearly a month, and it really hit me that I wouldn't dance, couldn't run, can't even walk far even if I did get outside." She gave a slightly bitter laugh. "I wouldn't even be able to sit on the ground, with out have a lot of difficulty getting back up or getting down…" She shook her head sharply. "I need to know who survived, there were a lot of families and students there that day…a lot of my friends…"

"Albus will be able to get a list of everyone who was there, injured or dead." Severus said quietly. "Why don't you make it an early night…I must admit there isn't much I can do about the being outside point…the best I could do is carry you out let you sit in a chair and read for awhile."

"I know there isn't much you can do." She whispered. "I think I just needed to get it off my chest." She sighed and slowly got up and let him led her to her room. "I think I just might read for awhile…since I missed dinner anyway."

"Call Binky if you get hungry later." He said softly and left.

She cast a one way charm gain and flicked her wand at one of the thirteen globes scattered around her room. A lone Violin began playing softly at first, before getting louder to the point she could feel the vibrations in the floor, especially when the piano joined in.

She sat down on her couch side ways, her legs stretched out in front of her, her head resting on the arm and closed her eyes, spelling off the lights until only the bright fire light lit the room.

00000

It had been a few days since her little break down with her Uncle, Harry had returned, in full control of his family wards.

It was late and she couldn't sleep. She pulled a long thin box out of the back of her wardrobe can called Binky.

"Mistress?" Binky asked in concern.

"Are you still able to pop me places or am I too big?" She asked quietly, looking at the box.

"Binky can still pop with Mistress but not far." Binky said her hands twisting at her ear.

"Can you take me to some where in the castle where it has the best acoustics?" She asked slowly looking up at elf.

"Yes mistress." Binky nodded and took her hand gently once Rose had a hold of her cane and standing. They appeared in the middle of a stair well. "Good Acoustics here Mistress, sound travel every way." Binky bounced a bit.

"Find my viola for me?" She asked opening the box as she carefully went down one step and sat down, her back against the wall. She pulled out a small flute as Binky nodded and popped away.

She put the flute to her lips and played a few notes before listening to the echoes and nodded before launching into a slow, haunting tune, that as it went deeper into the tune gained hope, until it was a fast, perky jig.

She lowered the flute when she heard an inquisitive chirp and found Fawkes, sitting on the banister of the stairs looking at her, with his head titled slightly.

"Hello Fawkes, what brings you out here?" She asked softly and Fawkes trilled. "Ah I know that one." Rose smiled slightly and joined in. It was a tune that spoke of hope, friendship, joy and passion, with faint overtones of sorrow. "Thank you Fawkes." She chuckled and wiped away the few tears that had fallen. "Again but slightly different?" She requested as Binky popped in with a small Viola case.

Fawkes trilled his agreement and Rose quickly tuned her Viola and then began the tune again. This time the tune sounded more powerful, louder and more emotional.

She listened to the echoes after they had finished with her eyes closed before she began another cheerful jig, that was followed by several others.

At Fawkes trill of welcome she looked up as the Headmaster came up the stairs, in a dressing gown, looking a little concerned.

"Dear child, what are you doing way out here this time of night?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep." She sighed. "I haven't played in months, Binky brought me up here, saying the Acoustics were quite good." She smiled faintly, which quickly faded. "I do apologise if I woke you."

"You did nothing of the sort, Rose. I couldn't sleep myself, I was curious at where Fawkes suddenly disappeared too, though I think you might have woken your Uncle when you left your quarters…you know he has them thoroughly warded to let him know when some one comes or goes." His eyes were twinkling. "I must say you play beautifully with Fawkes."

"Thank you." She flushed at his praise.

He slowly lowered himself on to a step. "Play something for me?" He requested looking at them both. "something happy and hopeful."

Rose smiled and raised her viola again and played again.

"ROSEILAND JEAN MARIE PRINCE WHERE ARE YOU?" Her Uncle's voice bellowed.

"I think I am in trouble." Rose whispered a little fearfully.

"I think you frightened him, child." The headmaster stood up slowly and looked over the banister down the number of stairs to see Severus hurrying up the stairs. "Peace Severus, she is fine." He called down, and paused a sorrowful flute started.

She finished just as Severus appeared on their level.

"I'm sorry uncle." She said softly. "I couldn't sleep."

"At least tell me that you didn't walk up here." He growled, looking worried and a little frightened.

"No, Binky popped me up here. I wanted some where with good acoustics and I didn't want to wake any one by walking around our rooms…" She sighed. "I didn't mean to worry you." She took a slow breath. "I think I got a bit claustrophobic and I just needed out of those rooms for a bit."

"Rose…" Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am not accustom to worrying about other people and I do not deal well with surprises or fright." He sighed as she packed up her instruments. "Next time just ask, if it is becoming a problem spending all hours in your rooms at night, just send Binky to me and ask to leave for a bit." He helped her to stand as the Headmaster bent down and picked up her cane and passed it to her.

"It shouldn't be too often, Binky can't pop me very far or often before it exhausts her." Rose assured him with a very faint smile.

"Can't another elf take you?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, we tried, back home, Binky knows me very well, she's been my elf since I was a babe. No other elf could pop with me no matter how we tried. We don't know why." Rose shook her head and a yawn caught her by surprise.

"Binky." Severus called the elf back. "Can you return Rose to her room?"

"Yes, Master Snape." Binky nodded and gently took Rose's hand and popped them back to her room.

"Thank you Binky." Rose murmured as the elf took her instruments and put them away. She changed into her pyjama's and slid into bed and was asleep very quickly and never noticed when her Uncle checked to make sure she was safely in bed.

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The next day Rose found herself outside in the sun with her paints and a few canvas and told firmly not to move from that spot by her Uncle and that he would collect her in a few hours, before she could blink.

She shrugged after getting over her shock and surprise of being carried out of her rooms while Binky was ordered to find a nice spot for Rose by the front entrance doors outside.

She looked around and picked through her brushes before beginning painting the forest. It wasn't long before she heard yelps of excitement and Draco and Harry bolted out of the castle with their brooms in hand. They waved wildly at her as they sped passed her and kicked off the ground heading for the pitch. She laughed and shook her head at their antics before turning back to her painting.

It was an hour later as she was cleaning one of her brushes when she noticed movement in the forest and frowned. Draco and Harry who had joined her for a picnic lunch looked up at her in surprise when she gestured sharply at them to quieten down.

"What is it?" Harry asked softly, just as a spell fired out of the wood.

"Portkey." She hissed and watched as they other touched their rings and she touched her bracelet. "Graceland." She said and was jerked backwards and cried out as she landed hard on her side and bit back a scream as her leg flamed with pain.

"Where are we?" Draco asked panting.

"Workroom." Rose gritted out. "Binky."

"Mistress hurt?" Binky popped in fast, pain potion already in hand and poured it down her throat. "Binky get Master Snape."

"What happened" He snapped as he raced into the room a few moments later.

"Spell shot out of the forest, Rose noticed something just before the first spell was cast and told us to use our Portkeys." Draco shook a little.

"She landed wrong, I saw her land and her leg buckled." Harry managed to get out a few seconds later.

"Binky, get Poppy and tell her to bring one of the strongest pain potions she has." Severus snapped out as he picked Rose up, his face blank but he flinched when she let out a hoarse low scream as her leg moved. He moved as quickly as he could with out jostling her leg and got her on to her bed and conjured a firm ball and pushed it into her hands. "Squeeze the ball Rose." He stroked back her hair out of her face, "Bite it if you have to but don't grit your teeth or bite your lip."

The ball was brought up to her mouth and she bit into it hard, breathing harshly, cries of agony came from the back of her throat.

"What happened?" Poppy yelled as she ran into Rose's room.

"They were attacked from the forest and activated their Portkeys." Severus snarled. "She landed on her leg."

Poppy's face went grim and pulled the ball away from her face and poured the potion down her throat fast, followed by a dreamless sleep to knock her out.

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Well here you all are, the newest chapter of Rose Prince. I hope that you all enjoy after waiting so long for it. Let me know what you think.

Chapter Eight

Rose swam out of the darkness feeling no pain but feeling very groggy, her eyes felt like they weighted a tonne, her body felt stiff like she hadn't moved in hours. She faintly heard the murmur of voices and tried to focus on them.

"I finally got her fever down, her leg is back to pre portkey condition, though she will probably limp very badly for a few days…when she wakes." Poppy was telling some one sounding very worried. "I'm concerned about mental damage…Her fever was so high for so long…"

"Do you think she will wake Madame Pomfrey?" Harry's voice asked sounding frightened and upset.

"I honestly don't know, the first few days I wasn't that concerned because it mean she wasn't conscious to feel the pain she was in…but now…all we can do is hope." Poppy replied quietly.

"There is no way to tell if she took any other damage from the fever until she wakes…the rest is up to her." Her Uncle's voice was cold and empty.

"Do we know who attacked yet?" Poppy asked.

"No, we found no traces by the time we got there." Severus sounded angry. "They are supposed to be safe here, because of this they can't go out now…Rose is in a coma, Harry broke his arm and Draco dislocated his shoulder…and there is nothing I can do about any of it." He sounded suddenly very frustrated, angry, worried and very tired. "She's been unconscious for two weeks Poppy, that's even longer then when she first got the injury…school starts in a two and a half weeks, I'm not going to have the time to help her when she does wake up to get back to where she is and neither will the boys…I don't want some stranger in here either." He was nearly shouting at the end of is rant.

"Unca' Sev' dow shout…" Rose managed to mumble.

The entire room entered a shocked silence.

"Rose?" Severus's voice shook a little and a hand rested on her cheek, feeling nice and cool. She leaned in slightly to the cool touch that felt so nice.

"Hot." She mumbled, her throat was dry and raw. "Wa'er" She felt water brushed against her lips, and then spooned into her mouth. It wasn't long before she was sipping slowly at a glass of water.

"Rose can you open your eyes?" Poppy asked from near by.

"'oo heavy."

"Are you in pain?"

"No, stiff, no pain." Her voice was slowly gaining strength.

"Understandable. Can you move your right leg carefully?" Poppy requested. Rose wiggled her foot cautiously before bending the knee a little and it locked up at the usual point and she slid it back down again. "Good, no loss of movement, any pain with the movement?"

"No." Rose's eyes began flickering until she finally managed to get them open properly and keep them open and watched as Poppy's wand flicked over her.

"Good, you had us worried dear." She looked at Severus who was sitting next to Rose's head. "Full deep scan reveals no damage that wasn't already there before the portkey slammed her into ground."

"Wasn't the best idea giving her that." He sighed and stroked her hair back.

"Better then her getting injured by spell damaged or killed." Poppy chided him gently. "Severus, remember you have at least two weeks where your attention isn't needed else where to help her get back to where she was. The boys can help while you are busy else where, and in two weeks when I run the tests again and she is still having troubles then you can start worrying about having some one down here to help out."

"One steady step at a time." Rose nodded slowly in understanding.

"That's it exactly." Poppy gave a soft smile. "Now, you are chair bound for at least a few more days, I won't bother confining you to bed cause I know you'll find a way to sneak out." She pointed to a wheel chair near the bed. "The only walking you should be doing is getting in and out of bed and using the bathroom." She looked at her sternly. "That understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Rose nodded.

"Good, but you stay in bed for the rest of today at least. Eat the broth and drink plenty of fluids." She nodded. "Tomorrow you can get out of bed, I'll be back in a few days to see how you are recovering."

"Thank you Poppy." Rose smiled slowly, grateful that she wasn't going to bed bound, at least this way when she got restless she could nip over to her workroom and do something for a little while.

"Don't abuse the privilege I've given you." Poppy warned before she left.

"Harry and Draco?" Rose asked looking at Severus as he wrung out a wet cloth and laid it over her still warm forehead.

"Harry had a broken arm and Draco dislocated his shoulder. Both have been healed and have spent the rest of their time distracting each other from worrying over you." He replied quietly as he sat back in his chair.

"I won't be going outside again will I?" She asked quietly as she slowly shifted so she was sitting up slightly propped up by pillows.

"No, you won't be." He sighed. "You should have been safe on the grounds, but as we've seen that is not the case." He stared at her steadily for a moment. "There maybe another way around that but I'm still looking into it, until then you are once again confined to quarters."

"It's understandable." She nodded and let out a small sigh.

"Rose…did you see anyone?" Severus asked.

"No, I just saw movement in the trees and then a spell flying at us." She shook her head slowly. "I think I only noticed because it was in the section I was painting." She frowned a little. "Did the painting survive? I might have painted who ever was there."

"No, it was destroyed by what ever the spell was." Severus shook his head.

Binky then popped into the room with a tray with a bowl of broth and a mug of tea. "Binky is glad Mistress is awake." The little elf said as she set the tray carefully on Rose's lap.

"Thank you Binky." Rose smiled faintly and slowly began to feed her self once she was sure her hand was steady enough to hold a spoon. "I was unconscious for two weeks?" She asked eating between her words.

"We think that between the reinjury of your leg, shock and the large doses of pain potion your immune system was lowered, you caught a mild case of Wizards Flu on top of everything else." Uncle Severus sighed. "It was a high fever for nine days that didn't want to lower no matter what we did. You'll be a little shaky and weak for a few days because of it, we are just hoping that the injury to your leg won't set you back too far." He grimaced. "Classes start in a little over two weeks, and it will most likely take you that long just to get back to getting around like you were before."

"Better injured then bloody or dead." She pointed out softly. "I wonder if the Congelo Portkey would be better to use...I'm not even sure if it passed all the testing's to be made into a public spell."

"Never heard of it." Severus frowned.

"It was a new or newish spell that a spall maker was working on a few years ago for emergency portkeying for medical personal. If the person was too injured to be moved about roughly like a normal portkey would then they could use the Congelo instead. It freezes the person in place as it transports them to their destination so their injuries weren't jostled." She frowned. "Why didn't I think of that before."

"I think if it exists it might be a good thing to look into." Severus agreed. "You can't be expected to think of everything, we adults should have thought of it as well, we knew that there would be a chance of you not being able to land properly." He sighed. "We just never thought you'd have to test that theory so soon." He shook his head. "I'll look into it, for the rest of today you are on bed rest if you can manage it, tomorrow you can think about getting out of your room." He smirked as they both heard fidgeting outside her bedroom door. "I believe the boys would like to keep you company for awhile."

"Plenty of room for them to spread out." She smiled slightly. "If I am bed bound for the day then company for awhile will be good."

"I'll let them know that they can stop skulking around doorways then." He chuckled as he rose to his feet. "I'm not going to be around much, I have staff meetings and classes to prepare for...did you want a tutor to go over your courses see if you can bring your averages up on other classes?" He inquired. "You ran at your own pace that way."

"Well I do have to finish this year up." Rose nodded slowly. "It's my last year, may as well get it over with and do the best I can."

"I'll tell Albus to start asking around, see if we can get someone in a few days a week to tutor you." He nodded and headed for the door, opened it and shook his head at the two boys waiting outside. "She's agreed that you can study in there if you want to keep her company for awhile, just remember that she will drift in and out of sleep a bit today."

"Yes sir."

Rose chuckled as they hurried in with text books and settled down on her couch as she pulled her own fiction novel off her bedside table and settled down for a lazy day.

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Rose spent the next few days moving around carefully, and spending a little time working on her backlog of requested items from Gems that they were running low on. She took things slowly only spending a few hours each day in her work rooms before returning to her bedroom to work on her school work.

By the fourth day Poppy cleared her cautiously to go back to her work rooms full time if she felt up to it but to use her common sense and not to overdo things.

Rose was covered in paint within a few hours of Poppy releasing her from her room, she didn't know exactly who she was painting but as she added more details she knew that she was doing another conclave painting but she didn't recognise any of the coats of arms she was placing in the painting. It was also one of the largest paintings she had done, she had to get Blinky to go and buy it specially. It was near six feet across and four feet high.

So far it appeared to be a large common room, or meeting room. She also had four other canvas's on easels waiting nearby, all were three feet by four feet, backgrounds already painted in, just waiting for the person to be painted in.

"Rose?" She heard the faint call through her closed door as she washed out another paint brush and glanced at her pots of paint and glared at them when she realised that they were all nearly empty. A glance at her shelves also told her that she was out of paint.

She flicked her wand at the sealed door. "Enter." She called still glaring at the empty pots. How had she missed that they were so low? She sighed, she'd been distracted with other things that's how. "Blinky." She called as the door opened.

"Yes mistress?" The small elf popped in.

"I'm out of paints, all of them. Is the lab free?" She asked washing out her brushes properly, the paintings would just have to wait until she brewed up some more.

"Yes mistress, Master Draco is bored may Blinky ask if he be willing to do Mistress's paints?" Blinky's ears flopped as she nodded.

"Save me a walk so soon, see if he wants something to do, if not I'll do it myself." Rose nodded turning her attention to the Headmaster who was waiting patiently in her door way. "Headmaster, what can I do for you?" She inquired wiping her hands on a paint stained rag.

"I wanted you to meet with your tutor before you got too lost in your paintings, my dear. Severus and I discussed things over the last few days and have decided after getting a few of the professors to look over your summer work that it would be best to just prepare you for your NEWTS, you could easily pass them with everything you do every day." He gave her a smile and his eyes twinkled in delight. "So your tutor will just being going over things with you to make sure that you understand everything, I've put in a request for a private sitting of the NEWT exams and have been told there is a sitting in November."

"I have Three months to make sure I don't flunk." She nodded slowly.

"My dear girl no one here thinks that you will flunk." He chided her. "Come, he is waiting in the lounge."

"Headmaster you do realise that I have no control when these paintings hit me, I must paint them when I see them or I get grouchy." She warned him as she followed him out leaning heavily on her cane. "as the others, they tend to avoid me."

"Yes, Severus did warn me and your tutor but I don't think that it would be much of a problem, if you are in a painting daze as he calls them then you can reschedule for another day." He inclined his head in understanding. "Ah here we are, Mr Weasley I would like you to meet..."

"Rose." Bill Weasley's face brightened when he spotted her which faded a little as he spotted the cane and faint scar on her face.

"William." She inclined her head and poked her tongue at him as he grimaced.

"I hate it when you call me that." He scowled at her.

"That's why I do it, Bill." She grinned cheekily at him. "You know that."

"You two know each other?" Albus raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"For two years." Bill nodded. "She was Ginny and mine's rival at our dance competitions."

"Ah yes, the dancing." Albus chuckled. "I had forgotten. Well since you know each other when would be a good time for you William to tutor her?"

"I'm free Thursday's and Monday's, if that works for you Rose." He grimaced again but answered the question. "I'm free most weekends but I think my Fiance would like to see me some time." He grinned.

"That should work." She bit her lip. "There is something you should see to help me explain my hesitation." She gestured for him to follow her and led him to her work room and stood in the middle of the room as he gaped for a moment at all the paintings before studying them.

"These are amazing Rose," He breathed looking over them carefully. "You painted the one you sent me?"

"I did." She nodded. "I'm a Master Painter with no control when a painting calls to me to be painted, there are days when I can't leave what I am doing until they are completed." She chuckled. "Uncle Severus calls it the Painting Daze, and every one avoids me when I'm in them or I tend to get grouchy." She glanced at her paintings with a small smile. "I enjoy my work but it can take it's toll on me."

"Understandable." He nodded in understanding. "Curse breaking can be the same. There may be days where I have to cancel for that reason."

"Then everything should work out fine." She hesitated. "Please don't tell anyone that you know who Jewelled Rose is, I like the anonymity of it."

"I won't. Flur, my fiancé loves your work, the few pieces that are placed up for sale are gone before most people can even view them. The owner of Gems is ecstatic that pieces just seem to walk out the door." He grinned at her. "Why so cheap? Some of those pieces could go for thousands."

"Because I am an unknown artist, I don't really want the money for them, I do them for the joy of it, not the money. I make enough to make a small profit to replace what I use and that is enough for me." She shrugged taking a seat on her stool. "In time I will be taking commissions for portraits, once I'm settled in properly, I'll be make more then enough off those when the time comes."

"How much do these go for?" He gestured to one of the medium sized soul portraits.

"Small to medium go for 100 gallons, large ones are around 200 gallons, ones like this one." She gestured to the large conclave she was in the middle of. "Goes for 300 gallons. That is standard for a new Master painter, as they become more well known and more experienced they can charge up to a hundred more each size." She explained.

"Impressive." He gave a silent whistle. "You'll be making a lot considering that the British Wizards no longer have a Master painter, and most of the old ancient magics of creating a portrait when a Lord dies has been lost."

"I know, there are only five in America and two are still apprentices, and nowhere near my talent according to the Masters that taught me." She smiled shyly.

"Alright, well I'll be here Monday morning at eight to start your tutoring, if you go into a daze, try and find some way of warning me and I'll reschedule." He changed the subject getting back to their original topic.

"I'll send Blinky, my house elf if I enter a daze, hopefully I'll be able to finish these five over the weekend and won't have to cancel on the first day." She nodded. "I should be able to give you an hour's warning, sometimes I come out of the daze in the afternoon."

"Then if you're not too tired we can pick up from there." He nodded in agreement and then hesitated. "We missed you at the championships, Richard was there asking if we'd heard anything since you'd been released from hospital."

"I haven't had any contact with America since I left." She sighed and then smiled. "I'm glad he's alright, did he compete?"

"No, he was only watching, he didn't have time to find a new partner. He said he'd left a few moments before the explosions to get something from home, he returned to find the alley in ruins." Bill shook his head.

"I'll have to write and let him know that I'm getting better then." She sighed and stared at the dancing paintings. "I'll miss it."

"We'll miss you there, you were the only real challenge we had." He gave her a small smile. "Maybe when you are more settled you could watch me and Ginny practice for next year, if you don't think it would be too hard to see."

"We'll see how things go." Rose smiled.

"Good, then I had best get back and I'll see you Monday." He reached out and gave her a gentle hug. "I'm just glad that you are still here."

"Me too." She murmured as she watched him leave, and looked back to her empty pots.

"Rose?" She looked up to see Harry standing in her door way. "Malfoy asked me to drop these off." He gestured to the tray he was carrying. "Said it would keep you going until he finished up."

"Great, thanks." Her face lit up as he came in and placed the eight pots in the empty places as she pulled out the empty ones and put them to one side. "I hadn't realised that I was that low on paint."

"He did, he has he brewing them all morning." Harry grinned. "We've got nothing else to do today so he said he might as well do something useful to keep you from getting snappy."

"I'm sure." She chuckled. "He just doesn't want me to snap at him like I did the first few days he was here."

"Don't blame him, I've only seen it from a distance, it's only then that I can see you are related to the Professor." He shuddered. "You both know how to cut people down with words."

"It's a gift." She smirked at him. "Thanks for this, I'm going to have to get Blinky to keep track of my supplies so I know when to restock." She pulled the top off the eight pots and looked at the colours she'd been given and picked out a brush and picked up where she left off.

"I'll leave you to it." Harry chuckled leaving, closing the door behind him shaking his head in amusement.

Rose flicked her wand at the corner of the room and began humming along with one of the musical pieces she had recorded with her parents and lost herself in it and the painting.

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Rose leaned back from the painting she was leaning towards and stretched carefully wincing as her body protested as her eyes looked over the finally completed conclave.

It was a large meeting area inside a library with large comfy looking couches, desks scattered with paper work, book cases around the walls overflowing with books and a large cheery fire burning away, but no people.

Rose groaned in relief as her cramping back slowly relaxed and began casting the needing spells, while wondering who the conclave was for. Shaking her head in puzzlement she looked at the four portraits and blinked when she realised that she hadn't been working on them while taking a break from the conclave like she normal would while working on multiple portraits.

Frowning she slowly left her work room and sat down at the dining table pouring herself a cup of tea, absently listening to the other three in the room, while her wand twirled in between her fingers as she thought.

"How big is the painting?" Severus asked again sounding stunned.

"Six by four feet." Harry repeated. "Plus she has four others she's been working on."

"She was half way through when I went in to deliver more of her paint pots a few hours later." Draco added. "Looks like a conclave."

"I don't think she knows who it is for, she keeps muttering about unknown people." Harry shrugged.

"What about the four portraits?" Severus asked.

"Backgrounds are done, bodies are partly done but they have no faces." Draco shook his head and frowned. "Though I swear I could hear movement in her back room, when I checked it was just Blinky tidying up muttering about Mistress Rose's magic."

"What about her magic?" Severus frowned, his eyes locking on his niece who was staring into her mug of tea, wand still twirling around her fingers.

"Blinky wouldn't tell me, said she wasn't telling Mistress's secrets." Draco shrugged.

Rose blinked and slowly set her mug down and looked at Draco. "Blinky was tidying up the wood craft area?"

"Yes." Draco nodded.

"Blinky." Rose called and looked to her left as the elf arrived looking dusty. "Again?" She asked sounding surprised.

"Again Mistress." Blinky pouted. "Yous magic doing multiple things again."

"Jewellery?" Rose inquired sighing. "Or is it sculpting?"

"Sculpting, Blinky thinks it doing frames for new pictures."

"Rose?" Severus's eyebrow was raised.

"When I get really involved in a project that is going to be important my magic not only focuses on the painting but the frames too, I can be completely absorbed in the painting and my magic will craft the frames, I can't control it, it is all subconscious." She shook her head. "Usually happens when I am doing my best work."

"Do you know who you are painting?" Severus inquired.

"Not a clue, I don't recognise the coats of arms on any of them." She shook her head. "I don't think I am going to get anything else done until these five paintings are done."

"You've been in there all day." Severus sighed. "You missed lunch and most of dinner."

"Blinky makes sure Mistress eats and takes her potions." Blinky spoke up twisting her ear.

"Yes you do, though next time make sure it's not something sticky." Rose requested. "I got jam all over my paint brushes."

"Yes Mistress." Blinky seemed to be flushing in embarrassment.

"I think I've got to get a better chair then the stool I have." Rose sighed stretching again. "I cramped up this time."

"Can't you just transfigure a chair?" Harry asked curiously.

"Not if my magic has been working on it's own." Rose shook her head. "Not wise to have too much magical things in one room when your magic is fooling around without your knowledge."

"True. Something with a back?" Severus inquired.

"Yes, I used to have the perfect chair for doing long hours of painting in back home but Lucus's accidental magic blew it up when he got mad at me for not playing with him." Rose sighed.

"If you could give a sketch of it maybe we can find a replacement." Severus suggested.

"Sure." Rose pulled a pencil and piece of parchment out of her pocket and quickly sketched what it had looked like and slid it towards him. "Less magic in it the better."

"I'll keep that in mind." Severus nodded. "Did you get dinner?"

"Umm..." She looked at Blinky.

"I fed Mistress." Blinky nodded.

Rose nodded and gulped down the last of her tea, grasped her cane and made her way back to her work rooms, this time leaving her door open, as the closed door didn't seem to keep any one out when they needed something.

She just sat on the stool looking at the conclave wondering what she was going to do with it once she finished putting the frame on it. She had no idea who it was supposed to go it, Hogwarts wasn't being all that cooperative right now just urging her on to finish them.

She shook her head and turned her focus to the unfinished soul portraits, giving Blinky instructions to check over what her magic had done with the frame for the conclave and see if it was ready to be attached to the picture.

She was in the middle of changing brushes, nearly finished with the portraits all they needed were faces and a few refinements once they were done when she sensed some one watching her.

"You need something Draco?" She asked softly so she wouldn't startle him.

"Do you know how pure blood politics works?" He asked after a moment.

"I know that a lot of the time the public face is not the family private face." She replied diplomatically as she changed colours and began putting details on the blue lady's face. "I know that their mottos are show no weaknesses to your enimies." She glance up at him and raised an eyebrow. "What does your father wish to know?" She asked seeing the hesitation on his face.

"I'm not sure exactly, I know he is privately proud of me for standing up for my own choices but publically he is furious and disappointed. He's heard rumors that there is a soul painter here in England, probably because of your paintings at Gems. I think he wants to commission a piece, though I'm not sure I am getting his questions right." He sighed. "some times with father it is hard to read between the lines."

"Can you ask Severus to double check for you?" She inquired. "Or don't you want him to know that you are communicating with your father?"

"I should probably ask him as it deals with you, I just don't know if he's inquiring for himself or some one else." He looked lost.

"Talk to Severus, Draco, he'll help either way." She told him with an understanding smile. "It's not easy balancing private and public not for anyone, probably more difficult for your father because of the situation he is in." As she finished speaking she stared at the unfinished portrait and scowled before glaring up at the castle. "That was not nice to keep that a secret for so long." She growled. "Some warning would be nice, are you trying to give people heart attacks?" Her eyes narrowed. "And how exactly am I supposed to get them to where you want them missy huh?" She asked sarcastically. "Just stroll down the hall?" She snorted. "There are people here who do know what I do, you know. They will come straight to me and no doubt grill me as to who, why and how!" Her eyes narrowed. "That is not funny." She grumbled.

"What did Hogwarts do?" Draco asked looking curious.

"She going to get me into trouble that's what she's doing." Rose grumbled as she continued painting. "This is going to send ripples through the wizarding world it is." She muttered shaking her head. "You should go to bed, I know it's late, warn Uncle that my door will be locked until these are finished please."

"Of course." Draco nodded and left closing the door behind him.

Rose flicked her wand at the door sealing it and continued muttering to herself as she put more details on the face.

"No wonder Blinky said that the frame was too big for the conclave I gotta expand the painting first." She grimaced. "Hardest part is to do it with out destroying the painting." She shook her head and immersed herself into the music once more.


End file.
